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Is chest X ray necessary to rule out PNX after thoracic maneuvers?

I t’s a busy day in ED this morning. The first patient refers dyspnoea, he has an advanced pulmonary neoplasia, ultrasound and chest x-ray confirm that the left zone is occupated by a pleural effusion. The thoracentesis removes about 1.5 liter of fluid, the patient breathes easily. The second patient is 65 yo, he…

ByCiro Paolillo4 February 20130Comments

Chest

Atypical or typical, is this the question?

I t is a busy day in your ED: A 60 y/o female refers a retrosternal pain radiates to right arm that lasts more than 20 minutes. A 50 y/o male refers a pressure in his chest, with tachycardia and sweating. A 75 y/o female refers a sharp and stabbing pain exacerbates by forceful breathing.…

ByCiro Paolillo8 December 20120Comments

Chest

Pleuritic pain and radio-occult lesion

A 33 y/o woman, comes to the ED because of a sudden emithorax pain localized on the left in basal region. The pain is described as stabbing, well localised, it worsen with inspirium …a pleuritic pain, no cough, no fever, not hemoptysis. She smokes, she does not take any medication. Chest x ray is normal.…

ByIlenia Spallino11 October 20120Comments

Chest Ultrasound

Can Ultrasound rule out a pneumothorax?

Y ou are allerted for a level 3 trauma from the mountain, a cyclist has fallen going down hill. You prepar the shock room with everything you may need, dress up, and wait. A 25 y/o cyclist arrives completely immobilized, you immidiately start to perform ABCDE as you learned in your recent ATLS course (you…

ByIlenia Spallino10 July 20120Comments

Chest

Thoracic trauma and chest X-Ray

Y ou are alerted for a level 3 trauma coming from the mountain, a cyclist has fallen going down hill. You prepare the shock room with everything you may need, dress up, and wait. A 25 y/o cyclist arrives completely immobilized, you immediately start to perform ABCDE as you learned in your recent ATLS course…

ByIlenia Spallino10 July 20120Comments

Chest

Chest X-Ray and aortic dissection

A 70 yo man come to the ED for restrosternal chest pain and shortness of breath during minimal activity in the last days. He is an ex smoker, with a history of hypertension. On physical examination the patient is not in distress, with a regular blood pressure and regular oximetry. ECG shows no evidence of…

ByCiro Paolillo28 June 20120Comments

Chest Ultrasound

Diagnosis of pneumonia. Is it the time for a combined imaging strategy?

A 80 yo man is brought from an assisted-living facility because of fever, productive cough, tachycardia and dyspnoea. He has a history of dementia and hypertension. He is cachectic, you hear ronchi on the left side. How should you approach this patient? In the Emergency department setting the pretest probability of pneumonia…

ByCiro Paolillo5 April 20120Comments

Chest

D-dimer and Aortic dissection

It’s 3.00 am when a 55 yo man is accompained to the ED by his wife because of sudden onset precordial pain, he has not clinical history, he does not smoke and he has an active life style, you find a normal blood pressure and clinical examination and a normal ECG, but the pain is…

ByIlenia Spallino17 May 20110Comments