More articles from Symptoms to Diagnosis
- Hypophosphatemia in a patient with an eating disorder
A 32-year-old woman referred from an eating disorder treatment center reported memory difficulty, trouble concentrating, and feeling “hazy.” She was taking oral potassium phosphate 3 times daily.
- Confusion in a 22-year-old woman, and diagnostic uncertainty
The patient had been complaining of gradual-onset and progressive headache and neck and back pain for 3 weeks.
- A 65-year-old man with melena and a blood disorder
The patient had chronic anemia related to primary myelofibrosis and was being treated with epoetin alfa and ruxolitinib, with blood transfusions every other week.
- Unilateral atrophic kidney in a 45-year-old woman
The patient presented with 2 days of constant, sharp, nonradiating flank pain on the right side, worse with movement and coughing, and severe enough to limit ambulation.
- Altered mental status in a man with metabolic syndrome
A 25-year-old man with bipolar I disorder, hypertension, posttraumatic stress disorder, and obesity was found unresponsive with shallow breathing and foaming at the mouth.
An unexpected turn: A 71-year-old man with myocardial infarctionThe patient’s temperature was elevated, pulse rate 98 beats per minute, respiratory rate 16 breaths per minute, and blood pressure 100/60 mm Hg. Cardiac and pulmonary examinations were normal.
- Acute anxiety and tachycardia in a hospitalized 59-year-old woman
The patient presented with neck pain, painful swallowing, headache, and fever. She had contracted lymphoproliferative disease after liver transplant. She had stage 3 chronic kidney disease.
- Dyspnea and cough in a lung transplant recipient
The patient developed sudden shortness of breath at rest, a decline in home spirometry values, and dry cough and fatigue.
- The devil is in the details: Approach to refractory hypokalemia
The authors illustrate a stepwise approach to the evaluation of acid-base disturbances.
- Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia in a female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Evaluation of a patient presenting with worsening swelling of the lips and legs, decreased oral intake, intermittent pleuritic chest pain, and exertional dyspnea.