- 1). Observe for productive cough. The sufferer is likely to have asthmatic bronchitis if he coughs up mucus, since an asthma cough is normally dry and unaccompanied by mucus.
- 2). Perform a full chest auscultation. Listen for any wheezing. The patient will also present himself with difficulty breathing and complaints of chest tightness (congestion). Also order a chest x-ray to confirm congestion in the chest. Difficulty breathing and congestion in the back are common symptoms of asthmatic bronchitis.
- 3). Observe for discomfort and breathing pain. The patient will complain of pain in the chest and shoulders during inhalation or exhalation.
- 4). Obtain the patient's sleep history. A patient with asthmatic bronchitis will have a difficult time falling asleep due to persistent wheezing and coughing throughout the night.
- 5). Observe the patient for recurring infections. Recurrent, respiratory infections such as the cold virus, flu virus or bacteria-causing pneumonia are indicative of asthmatic bronchitis.
SHARE
