Shortness of breath: Looking beyond the usual suspects
The Journal of Family Practice. 2016 August;65(8):526-533
July 26, 2016|Pulmonary Health Hub
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COPD and pneumonia come to mind when a patient is short of breath. But the signs and symptoms detailed here should lead you to suspect an uncommon cause.
Most of the time dyspnea is due to either a primary lung or cardiovascular problem such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary embolism (PE), pneumonia, congestive heart failure (CHF), or myocardial infarction. However, many other illnesses can also produce this symptom (TABLE 1). This article will review the uncommon etiologies of dyspnea that should be considered when the usual suspects have been eliminated.
