A 68-year-old male presents to the emergency department (ED) with one week of worsening shortness of breath. He has no known cardiac history and has rarely seen a physician. He reports shortness of breath with exertion, mild non-productive cough, and subjective fever. He is not having chest pain. He is a long-time smoker but denies other drugs. Vitals are as follows: heart rate (HR) of 102, blood pressure (BP) of 105/70, afebrile, 89% on room air (RA), respiratory rate of 20. On exam the patient exhibits labored breathing, crackles in bilateral lower lung fields and +1 pitting edema in bilateral lower extremities…
Read More…The differential diagnosis included acute coronary syndrome, CHF exacerbation, pneumonia, and cardiac amyloidosis.
EKG showed sinus tachycardia with low voltage. Laboratory evaluation was unremarkable, with a negative troponin and high normal BNP. Chest radiograph showed bilateral infiltrates concerning for mild pulmonary congestion.
POCUS was obtained….
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