clinical features of bronchiectasis in children

Last reviewed 01/2018

Clinical presentation of bronchiectasis in children

  • failure to thrive or malnutrition - in UK, children are likely to be of normal weight and height
  • a chronic productive or moist cough
  • wheeze
  • haemoptysis (usually blood-streaked sputum)
  • exertional breathlessness
  • recurrent lower respiratory tract
  • signs include
    • finger clubbing - absent in non- cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis
    • cyanosis
    • hyperinflation
    • chest deformity - uncommon in non- cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis
    • persistent inspiratory crackles (1)

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