Talk:Airway obstruction

Wiki Education assignment: WikiProject Medicine Fall 2024 UCF COM - Block 6

This article is currently the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 21 October 2024 and 17 November 2024. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Chainzaw111 (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Chainzaw111 (talk) 19:16, 24 October 2024 (UTC)

Hello, I am a 4th year medical student at the University of Central Florida. As a part of my current course, I am working on editing Wikipedia articles to improve the quality of the free medical information available. This article is currently rated as mid-importance. I plan to edit this article throughout these next few weeks. Here is my work plan:

- Content: Current information is sparse, especially in lead section, and I would like to include broader overview of both upper and lower airway obstruction, specific anatomy, the conditions that cause them, symptoms of each, and how they are diagnosed and treated

- Structure: Improve organization by using a clear structure with headings and subheadings. Will keep "Upper airway obstruction" and "Lower airway obstructive" as main headings and have the following subheadings under each: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Management, Complications, Prognosis and Outcomes

- Language: I plan to add more explanations and reword medical concepts in layman's terms to make it easier to for non-medical readers. Will also cross-link terms like "spirometry," "FEV1/FVC ratio," and "obstructive lung disease" to help readers understand

- References: The article has limited citations with some dead links, so I plan to update citations and continue to reference sources as I add information

- Images: The article currently has no images, and I would like to add some, particularly when discussing the anatomy and diagnosis — Preceding unsigned comment added by Chainzaw111 (talk • contribs) 19:49, 24 October 2024 (UTC)

Hi Chainzw111, you've done a great job editing this article, especially considering how much you had to add in yourself! I have a few comments after reviewing both your original plan and the current status of the article.

1. Content Clarity and Organization
   • Great job organizing the sections for both upper and lower airway obstruction! Dividing these into causes, symptoms, diagnosis, management, prognosis, and complications creates a clear and accessible flow for readers.
2. Use of Visual Aids
   • The inclusion of images, such as bronchoscopy and spirometry illustrations, is a helpful addition for readers to understand the diagnostic methods. When considering some of the captions or labels to some images for clarity, perhaps briefly describing the function of the BiPAP machine/ explaining its function in simpler terms would further enhance comprehension.
3. Detailed Causes and Symptom Descriptions
   • The detailed explanations of causes and symptoms for both upper and lower airway obstructions are well-researched and supported with references. You might consider adding a sentence or two comparing the key distinctions between upper and lower airway symptoms, as it could help readers grasp differences more easily
4. Expanding on Prognosis and Complications
   • The prognosis and outcomes sections are concise and informative. Adding a brief mention of factors that may influence prognosis (such as age, severity, or comorbidities) could provide valuable insights. This would add depth to understanding how treatment efficacy varies across different patient populations.
5. Terminology and Simplification for Broader Audience
   • Some technical terms like “stridor” and “spirometry” are well-defined, but a few other terms (e.g., “FEV1/FVC ratio”) may benefit from simpler explanations for a general audience (although since they are wiki-linked, this is a minor suggestion). Briefly explaining these terms would make the content more accessible.
6. Treatment Approaches
   • You’ve included effective treatment methods for both types of obstruction. Consider briefly discussing how treatment may vary based on patient-specific factors or comorbid conditions. This could provide a well-rounded view of treatment considerations.

This article is comprehensive and well-organized, with great attention to detail in differentiating between upper and lower airway obstructions. Addressing these minor suggestions could make it even more reader-friendly! Great job overall. SynapseScribe (talk) 00:07, 13 November 2024 (UTC)