|
|
Article: Abdominal crunches as an unusual cause of empyema
- Article from:
- Canadian Medical Association. Journal
- Article date:
- May 22, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Canadian Medical Association May 22, 2007. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
TEACHING CASE REPORT
The case: A 28-year-old woman, previously healthy, came to our emergency department after 2 days of progressive left-sided chest pain. The onset had been sudden, in the midst of her doing a few abdominal crunches. She described the pain as sharp, nonradiating and pleuritic. Physical examination found her to be afebrile, with stable vital signs and no evidence of respiratory distress. Faint crackles could, however, be heard on the left side of her chest.
Two hours after her arrival, the patient developed fever and worsening chest pain. Re-examination revealed decreased air entry into the left lobes of the lung. Chest radiography showed a 7-5-cm mass arising from her left ...