Case Presentations of the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residencies: Acute Shortness of Breath in a Boarding Patient

Dr. Pissaris: This is a case of a 49-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath. The patient had been boarding in the emergency department for 2 days, when she suddenly developed respiratory distress and a new oxygen requirement. On re-evaluation, she endorsed severe shortness of breath, which she said was aggravated by exertion, including changing her clothes or going to the bathroom. There was no change in her symptoms with position or inspiration. She denied any other associated symptoms including fevers, chills, cough, chest pain, lightheadedness, nausea, leg swelling, or calf pain.
Source: The Journal of Emergency Medicine - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Contributions Source Type: research