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Exercise Four

Recently a male patient began to spit up blood. Also, he has experienced shortness of breath and, in general, has been having difficulty breathing. A physical examination of the lungs revealed obstruction in the passage of air. The patient's breath was fetid (bad smelling, stinking), and he admitted to severe coughing spells in recent days.

Select, from the following list, what the paragraph describes.

  A bronchiectasis
  B emphysema
  C pneumonia
  D other
  E none of the above
   

 

Answer:

A: bronchiectasis

The description of fetid breath and severe coughing spells fits the definition of bronchiectasis. A patient with emphysema will experience a chronic shortness of breath since he is unable to take a "deep" breath. However, his breath need not be fetid, and he may not experience coughing spells.

 
 

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