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Physical Exam for Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)

Many times when a person is diagnosed with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), he or she is already in the hospital because the flu-like symptoms have gotten worse quickly. The physical exam for HPS will include:

  • Checking your breathing rate for rapid breathing, which may be more than 20 breaths per minute.
  • Listening to your heart for an increased heart rate, which may be 120 beats or more per minute.
  • Measuring your temperature, which may be 101°F (38.3°C) or higher.
  • Taking your blood pressure, which may be lower than normal.
  • Listening to your lungs for sounds that indicate the presence of fluid (pulmonary edema).
  • Checking your abdomen for tenderness.
  • Examining your skin for temperature and color. Your skin may be cool, clammy, or mottled.
By Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology
Last Revised February 22, 2012

Last Revised: February 22, 2012

Author: Healthwise Staff

Medical Review: E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Robert L. Cowie, MB, FCP(SA), MD, MSc, MFOM - Pulmonology

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