Kanwar Rauhila, MD

A 52-year-old woman was admitted tothe hospital with progressive shortnessof breath of 2 days’ duration. Bronchialasthma had been diagnosed 6 monthsearlier; inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilators,and leukotriene antagonistswere prescribed. Despite aggressivetreatment, the patient’s dyspneaand wheezing worsened.

A 67-year-old man with a 5-month history of cough, shortness of breath, and pain in the left anterior chest wall sought medical evaluation. The patient denied fever, chills, and hemoptysis. He reported a recent weight loss of 25 lb. The patient had smoked cigarettes for 37 years.

A 70-year-old man was brought from a nursing home to the emergency department with abdominal distention and vomiting of recent onset and a 2-day history of fever and abdominal pain. The patient had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. His gastric feeding tube, which had been placed via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, was blocked.