Assessment

Cardiorespiratory physiotherapy¹ focuses on the assessment, treatment, prevention and ongoing management of patients with heart and lung conditions.

During your initial assessment you will be asked a series of questions related to your diagnosis, current condition and past medical history, medications and the impact of your condition on your day-to-day activities, tolerance for exercise and quality of life. You may be asked questions about breathlessness, cough, sputum and haemoptysis (any blood in your sputum), wheeze and chest pain and the ways in which you currently manage your condition.

During a physical assessment, Sean will use a stethoscope to listen to the breath sounds in your lungs, review any lung function and/or exercise tests, x-rays, scans and other tests you may have had, to be able to design a comprehensive management plan to optimise your heart and lung health. Exercise tests such as a 6-min walk test or a 10m modified shuttle walk tests may be suggested to determine your current exercise capacity.

Please wear comfortable clothing and bring your airway clearance device ( if you have one e.g. Aerobika, Acapella, Flutter etc.) and any other important test results to the assessment for further discussion.

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Reference

1. Main E, Denehy L. Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy: Adults and Paediatrics 5th Edition. Elsevier, 2016.