Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects 5% of the adult population and is the fourth leading cause of death and twelfth leading cause of…
Approach to the Patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Transient episodes of breathing cessation (apnea) or a marked reduction in airflow (hypopnea) are common during sleep. Among adults, it is estimated…
Evaluation of Clubbing The term clubbing refers to enlargement and sponginess of the nail beds of the fingers and toes and reduction in the angle created by the nail and…
Evaluation of the Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Solitary pulmonary nodules are incidental findings on chest x-ray or computed tomography (CT) images. They are defined as round lesions less than 3 cm…
Evaluation of Pleural Effusions Most pleural effusions encountered in the physician’s office are incidental findings, but they often pose a diagnostic challenge. Of major concern are the possibilities of exudative…
Evaluation of Hemoptysis Hemoptysis is the coughing up of either blood-tinged or grossly bloody sputum. Because of its well-known associations with cancer and tuberculosis (TB), hemoptysis is an alarming symptom…
Evaluation of Subacute and Chronic Cough Cough is one of the most common symptoms that patients bring to the attention of primary care clinicians. Cough can be designated as acute…
Evaluation of Chronic Dyspnea Dyspnea is the subjective sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing. Patients commonly complain of “shortness of breath” to describe their respiratory difficulty. Acute dyspnea is most…
Evaluation and Prevention of Occupational and Environmental Lung Disease L. Christine Oliver Occupational lung disease is among the 10 leading causes of work-related illness in the United States. Toxic environmental…
Tuberculosis Screening and Prophylaxis Benjamin Davis An estimated 7% of the US population has evidence of tuberculosis (TB) infection; most are asymptomatic, discovered largely by screening. The epidemiology of TB…
