Chest
-
Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH), pulmonary arterial hypertension that develops in the setting of portal hypertension, can lead to right-sided heart failure and death. Being female is a known risk factor for POPH, but little is known about the effect of sex on clinical manifestations, hemodynamics, treatment response, and survival. ⋯ Compared with male candidates, female candidates for LT who had POPH had a higher PVR and lower MELD score and were more likely to have autoimmune liver disease. Women and men had similar overall survival, but female sex (or gender) was associated with worse survival in younger patients.
-
A 28-year-old man presented with shortness of breath, chest pain, and scant hemoptysis. Three weeks previously, he was admitted for coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonia that had been diagnosed by nasal swab polymerase chain reaction. ⋯ After 8 days of hospitalization, he was discharged on 4 L/min oxygen. After discharge, his symptoms and hypoxia resolved.
-
A 55-year-old woman with COPD, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (congestive heart failure), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension presented with baseline dyspnea at rest that had worsened over the last week. She reported associated runny nose, congestion, and cough productive of green sputum. She smoked six cigarettes per day and denied alcohol, drugs, or occupational exposure. ⋯ She was treated normally for both COPD and congestive heart failure exacerbations simultaneously with methylprednisolone, albuterol, and furosemide with rapid improvement over the course of 1 to 2 days. No significant improvement was noted with steroid therapy, despite receiving them as an inpatient and outpatient. At the time of discharge, her symptoms would be at her baseline.
-
A 49-year-old man presented with 3 months of persistent fever, cough, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. He had no response to treatment with antibiotics. ⋯ He did not use tobacco and had not experienced any weight loss, hemoptysis, arthralgia, or myalgia, and was otherwise in good health. He denied contact with anyone with pulmonary TB or other respiratory illnesses.
-
A 33-year-old white man presented to the ED with 1-month history of worsening dyspnea. He experienced gradual onset of right-sided scapular pain and shortness of breath on exertion that progressively worsened over the course of 1 month. ⋯ He was a never smoker; he denied illicit drug use or recent alcohol consumption. He had no known TB exposure, but his mother had a history of sarcoidosis.