4. How severe is respiratory distress –
Cough or Difficult Breathing 1
Cyanosed?
Unable to drink?
Reduced level of consciousness?
Grunting (infants)?
Lower chest wall indrawing?
RR ≥ 50 aged 2 –11 months?
RR ≥ 40 aged 1 – 4 yrs?
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Severe
Pneumonia
Pneumonia
None of the above? No Pneumonia
Y
Y
Y
Y
5. How severe is respiratory distress –
Cough or Difficult Breathing 2
Cyanosed?
Unable to drink?
Reduced level of consciousness?
Grunting (infants)?
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Y
High Risk of Death
High Risk of Hypoxaemia = Need Oxygen
May need fluid / feeding support
Require Broad Spectrum Antibiotics
6. How severe is respiratory distress –
Cough or Difficult Breathing 3
Lower chest wall indrawing?
Severe
Pneumonia
Y
Some Risk of Death = Need Admission
Can feed orally
Require Simple Antibiotics = Penicillin, and
Observe for improvement / deterioration
7. How severe is respiratory distress –
Cough or Difficult Breathing 4
RR ≥ 50 aged 2 –11 months?
RR ≥ 40 aged 1 – 4 yrs?
Pneumonia
Y
Not severely ill = Outpatient care
Can feed orally
Require Simple Antibiotics = Co-trimoxazole
(Amoxicillin), and
Review in 2-3 days for improvement / deterioration
8. Cause of Respiratory Distress 1?
12 months
Difficult
Breathing,
AVPU = P
RR = 43/min
Indrawing
+ve Blood Slide
9. Cause of Respiratory Distress 2?
12 months
Difficult
Breathing,
AVPU = P
RR = 43/min
Indrawing
+ve Blood Slide
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Difficult
breathing and
AVPU = P
10. Cause of Respiratory Distress 3?
12 months
Difficult
Breathing,
AVPU = P
RR = 43/min
Indrawing
+ve Blood Slide
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Difficult
breathing and
AVPU = P
Severe Malaria
with
Respiratory
Distress
Difficult
breathing,
Indrawing
AVPU = P, and
+ve Blood Slide
11. Cause of Respiratory Distress 4?
12 months
Difficult
Breathing,
AVPU = P
Indrawing
+ve Blood Slide
Severe Pallor
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Difficult
breathing and
AVPU = P
Severe Malaria
with
Respiratory
Distress
Difficult
breathing,
Indrawing,
AVPU = P, and
+ve Blood Slide
12. Cause of Respiratory Distress 5?
12 months
Difficult
Breathing,
AVPU = P
Indrawing
+ve Blood Slide
Severe Pallor
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Difficult
breathing and
AVPU = P
Severe Malaria
with
Respiratory
Distress
Difficult
breathing,
Indrawing,
AVPU = P, and
+ve Blood Slide
Severe
Anaemia
Respiratory
distress plus
severe pallor
13. Cause of Respiratory Distress 6?
12 months
Difficult
Breathing,
Cannot drink
Indrawing
Wheeze ++
-ve Blood Slide
Very Severe
Pneumonia
Difficult
breathing,
cannot drink
and indrawing
Very Severe
Asthma
Difficult
breathing,
Indrawing,
Wheeze, and
Cannot drink.
14. Wheeze – how severe is the asthma?
Cyanosed?
Unable to drink?
Reduced level of consciousness?
Grunting (infants)?
Lower chest wall indrawing?
RR ≥ 50 aged 2 –11 months?
RR ≥ 40 aged 1 – 4 yrs?
Very Severe
Asthma
Severe Asthma
Mild Asthma
Y
Y
Y
17. Respiratory distress & Malaria
Conscious level OK
Deep / acidotic breathing
Indrawing / Deep acidotic
breathing PLUS severe pallor or
Hb <5g/dl?
Severe Malaria
Life threatening
anaemia plus
malaria
Y
Y
19. Summary
• Key clinical signs define the severity of
respiratory distress
• There are several common causes that are
hard to distinguish
• Define severity and treat appropriately ALL
likely problems.