crotchitymedic1986 Posted February 24, 2009 Author Posted February 24, 2009 Im gonna go with a pulmonary embolism. Heres why (Keep in mind im just a first responder): it is not CHF b/c theres no edema and no n/v it is not an MI b/c theres no chest pain and theres nothing to mask any possible chest pain i dont THINK its COPD b/c the pt isnt barrel chested and is not breathing through pursed lips im unsure about it being a PE because theres no arrythmia (not that i would know what to do about that anyway). what do you think? Sorry: CHF does not have to have edema or N&V, especially early on. MI does not have to have chest pain. Barrel Chest and pursed lips are a result of years of CHF, not new onset. PE does not have to have an arrythmia The reality is that the patient could be any of the above, especially if his CHF or COPD symptoms are occuring for the first time in his life. That is the problem with this scenario.
sp121900 Posted February 25, 2009 Posted February 25, 2009 ok, thanks for the insight! just out of curiosity, what would you look for in this case to try to differentiate between any of the possible conditions?
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