The Case of a 71-Year-Old Man with Back Pain
Though it is easy to predict the usual etiology of common complaints, we need to be able to exclude life-threatening causes of symptoms. In law, we are innocent until proven guilty. In medicine, we are required to prove certain diseases are not occurring; we are, in a sense, guilty until proven innocent: A 50-year-old man with chest pain and diaphoresis has an MI until proven otherwise. A 22-year-old woman with lower abdominal pain has an …
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36-year-old woman experiencing postnatal back pain
The patient is a 36-year-old obese woman who presented with upper right back pain 10 days after a normal child birth. Pain is worse on coughing. Otherwise, she is fit and well. Upon examination, you find: No shortness of breath Normal oxygen saturation Patient is afebrile Auscultation: Reduced breathing sounds in right base, fine crackles on right View the image taken and consider what your diagnosis would be.
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November 2007
Upper Right Back Pain
A 36-year-old obese woman presents with upper right back pain 10 days after a normal child birth. Pain is worse on coughing. Otherwise, she is fit and well. No shortness of breath Normal oxygen saturation Patient is afebrile Auscultation: Reduced breathing sounds in right base, fine crackles on right View Figure 1, take these findings into account, and consider what your next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
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