Assessment and examination of the respiratory system

History taking and physical examination skills are an essential component of the advanced clinical practitioner (ACP) role and feature prominently within ACP-related educational and training frameworks and curricula. It is beyond the scope of this article to explore the complexity of the skills required for this essential component of the ACP role; however, there are a number of resources that have been developed specifically for the ACP and mapped to national curricula, including Peate et al (2023) and Diamond-Fox et al (2023a).

The overall aim of the respiratory-focused history and examination is to identify symptoms and physical manifestations that represent a final common pathway of a wide range of pathologies that may be highly suggestive or even pathognomonic of one pathology, or multiple concurrent pathologies.

Respiratory disease remains a prominent feature in both national and international statistics regarding the leading causes of death, more colloquially known as ‘the biggest killers’ (Office for National Statistics, 2023; World Health Organization, 2024). Bronchoconstriction, inflammation and loss of lung elasticity are some of the most common pathological processes that result in respiratory compromise, all of which are potential targets for manipulation with pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies if diagnosed in a timely manner.