Sudden onset of dyspnea, often with severe chest pain

Pneumothorax, pulmonary edema; foreign body aspiration; MI; pulmonary embolus

Dyspnea progressing over minutes to hours, often with wheezing

Asthma (history of asthma attacks); exacerbation of COPD, acute left ventricular failure (eg, in acute MI)

Dyspnea progressing over hours to days, often with fever and expectoration

Pneumonia; acute bronchitis

Stridor

Tumor in trachea; foreign body aspiration, anaphylaxis

Chest pain

Angina pectoris or MI, pulmonary embolism; aortic dissection; cardiac tamponade

Pleural pain

Pneumonia or pleurisy; early phase of pleural effusion accumulation; pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax

Sputum expectoration

Bronchiectasis; chronic bronchitis; left ventricular failure; pneumonia, pulmonary abscess

Hemoptysis

Lung tumor; pulmonary embolism; chronic bronchitis; systemic vasculitis, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary abscess

Muscle weakness, neurologic symptoms

Myasthenia gravis (myasthenic crisis); amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Guillain-Barré syndrome, diaphragmatic weakness (phrenic nerve injury)

Expiratory wheeze

Asthma; COPD (acute exacerbation); bronchiectasis; left ventricular failure