WILKINS CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IN
RESPIRATORY CARE REVIEW PAPER 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH EXPERT
SOLUTIONS AND MARKING SCHEME
◉ What are the two key sources of patient data?
Answer: Medical history and physical examination.
◉ What is dyspnea?
Answer: A subjective sensation of breathing discomfort experienced
by the patient.
◉ How does breathlessness differ from dyspnea?
Answer: Breathlessness is an unpleasant urge to breathe, while
dyspnea is the discomfort associated with breathing.
◉ What is orthopnea?
Answer: Dyspnea that occurs when a patient is in a reclining
position, often associated with congestive heart failure (CHF).
◉ What should be assessed to evaluate dyspnea during an
interview?
, Answer: Whether the patient can speak in full sentences and the
quality and intensity of dyspnea.
◉ What is psychogenic dyspnea?
Answer: Dyspnea associated with panic disorders and
hyperventilation, occurring despite normal cardiopulmonary
function.
◉ What triggers cough in patients?
Answer: Stimulation of cough receptors in the airways by
inflammation, mucus, foreign material, or noxious gases.
◉ What is the difference between sputum and phlegm?
Answer: Sputum is mucus from the lower airways expectorated
through the mouth, while phlegm is mucus from the
tracheobronchial tree not contaminated by oral secretions.
◉ What characterizes pleuritic chest pain?
Answer: Sharp pain located laterally or posteriorly that increases
with deep breathing, often associated with pneumonia or pulmonary
embolism.
◉ What is pedal edema and its common cause?
RESPIRATORY CARE REVIEW PAPER 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH EXPERT
SOLUTIONS AND MARKING SCHEME
◉ What are the two key sources of patient data?
Answer: Medical history and physical examination.
◉ What is dyspnea?
Answer: A subjective sensation of breathing discomfort experienced
by the patient.
◉ How does breathlessness differ from dyspnea?
Answer: Breathlessness is an unpleasant urge to breathe, while
dyspnea is the discomfort associated with breathing.
◉ What is orthopnea?
Answer: Dyspnea that occurs when a patient is in a reclining
position, often associated with congestive heart failure (CHF).
◉ What should be assessed to evaluate dyspnea during an
interview?
, Answer: Whether the patient can speak in full sentences and the
quality and intensity of dyspnea.
◉ What is psychogenic dyspnea?
Answer: Dyspnea associated with panic disorders and
hyperventilation, occurring despite normal cardiopulmonary
function.
◉ What triggers cough in patients?
Answer: Stimulation of cough receptors in the airways by
inflammation, mucus, foreign material, or noxious gases.
◉ What is the difference between sputum and phlegm?
Answer: Sputum is mucus from the lower airways expectorated
through the mouth, while phlegm is mucus from the
tracheobronchial tree not contaminated by oral secretions.
◉ What characterizes pleuritic chest pain?
Answer: Sharp pain located laterally or posteriorly that increases
with deep breathing, often associated with pneumonia or pulmonary
embolism.
◉ What is pedal edema and its common cause?
