A 45-year-old female from Southeast Asia presents with a chronic cough lasting 6 weeks, unintentional weight loss of 10 pounds, and intermittent night sweats. She denies hemoptysis but reports mild shortness of breath. She has a history of diabetes mellitus type 2 and lives in a household with multiple family members. She works as a caregiver in a long-term care facility. On physical examination, her temperature is 100.8°F (38.2°C), and lung auscultation reveals decreased breath sounds and crackles in the right upper lobe.
Questions
- Differential Diagnoses
Based on the patient’s presentation, what are the potential differential diagnoses? Prioritize these diagnoses based on the patient’s clinical presentation and risk factors. - Diagnostic Workup
What diagnostic tests would you order to differentiate between these diagnoses? Explain the rationale for each test. - Treatment Plan
Develop a comprehensive treatment plan for the most likely diagnosis, considering the patient’s age, comorbidities, and potential side effects. - Patient Education
What important information should you provide to the patient and their family regarding the diagnosis treatment and prevention of further episodes?
For peer response answer this:
- What would change if she told she was a gardener?
What red flags would indicate the need for immediate referral to the emergency department?
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources.
- You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or adding additional nuance to their posts.
- All replies must be constructive and use literature where possible.
- Please post your initial response by 11:59 PM ET Thursday, and comment on the posts of two classmates by 11:59 PM ET Sunday.
- Late work policies, expectations regarding proper citations, acceptable means of responding to peer feedback, and other expectations are at the discretion of the instructor.
- You can expect feedback from the instructor within 48 to 72 hours from the Sunday due date.
