Roberta Reichert

Trepopnea may explain right-sided pleural effusion in patients with decompensated heart failure

BACKGROUND Physicians often overlook trepopnea as a symptom, and its prevalence and clinical repercussions are not usually described. We propose that trepopnea is a common symptom in heart failure (HF) and, because of patient avoidance of left lateral decubitus position, contributes to the greater prevalence of right-sided pleural effusion in patients with HF. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine trepopnea prevalence and to evaluate the association of trepopnea and the laterality of pleural effusion in decompensated HF. METHODS Consecutive patients (n = 37) with decompensated HF and evidence of pleural effusion by chest x-ray were included. Data were collected at the emergency department by a standard clinical examination in which patients were specifically asked about the presence of trepopnea and preferred decubitus position while recumbent. Chest x-ray and echocardiographic parameters were recorded. RESULTS Of the 37 patients, 19 (51%) reported trepopnea. Most patients presented with right-sided pleural effusion; only 2 patients (5.4%) presented with left-sided pleural effusion. Patients who reported trepopnea had predominant right-sided pleural effusion more frequently than patients without this symptom (73.7% vs 26.3%; P = .049). The participants that reported trepopnea or avoidance of left lateral decubitus position while recumbent or both had a greater probability of having predominant right-sided pleural effusion (likelihood ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.35). CONCLUSIONS Trepopnea is a common symptom in patients with decompensated HF and is associated with predominant right-sided pleural effusion in this population. Our results indicate that trepopnea may be a contributory factor for pleural effusion laterality in patients with decompensated HF.

Intra-abdominal cryptococcosis by Cryptococcus gattii: case report and review.

Although abdominal cryptococcomas and visceral cryptococcal lymphadenitis as part of disseminated fungal infection have been reported mostly in HIV-infected patients, localized intra-abdominal involvement due to Cryptococcus gattii has not been previously described in non-HIV-infected patients. In general, a smaller proportion of cryptococcosis is caused by C. gattii. We report here on a type II diabetic HIV-negative patient who presented with a localized intra-abdominal cryptococcal mass due to C. gattii. In addition, we review the general aspects of intra-abdominal and gastrointestinal involvement by Cryptococcus neoformans in the literature and discuss the importance of identifying the C. neoformans varieties and C. gattii in routine laboratories.

Limitations in the Use of Qualitative Terms to Inform Diagnoses

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