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Clinical features of bronchiectasis in adults

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Clinical presentation of bronchiectasis in adults

  • cough - in more than 90% of the patients
    • cough together with daily sputum production - in 75 -100%
    • cough with intermittent sputum production - in 12-20%
    • non productive cough - in 5-8%
  • offensive or fetid odour due to purulent sputum
  • breathlessness - in 72%
  • haemoptysis - frequent, often due to infective exacerbations and sometimes the only presenting symptom
    • according to a study
      • blood-staining of sputum - in 27%
      • frank bleeding (up to 10ml) - in 20%
      • massive bleeding ( >235 ml) - in 4%
  • chest pain - in 31%, usually non-pleuritic and may vary from mild to severe
  • signs include
    • coarse crackles frequently in the lower lung fields - in around 70%
      • starts in early inspiration and extends into the late part which helps to differentiate crackles of bronchiectasis from those of COPD
    • wheeze - in 34%
    • large airway rhonchi - in 44%
    • finger clubbing - occurs infrequently (1)

Reference:

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