Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident

A 17-year-old male patient presented to St Joseph's Healthcare (Hamilton, Ontario) with a radiologically opacified left hemithorax. Three days earlier, the patient had injured his left lower chest while tobogganing on his farm. He developed dyspnea and felt unwell, but only sought medical atten...

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Main Authors: Ravinder Singh, Brian E Louie, William F Bennett, Christopher Allen, Tom Kelly, Christine H Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2005-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2005/162957
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author Ravinder Singh
Brian E Louie
William F Bennett
Christopher Allen
Tom Kelly
Christine H Lee
author_facet Ravinder Singh
Brian E Louie
William F Bennett
Christopher Allen
Tom Kelly
Christine H Lee
author_sort Ravinder Singh
collection DOAJ
description A 17-year-old male patient presented to St Joseph's Healthcare (Hamilton, Ontario) with a radiologically opacified left hemithorax. Three days earlier, the patient had injured his left lower chest while tobogganing on his farm. He developed dyspnea and felt unwell, but only sought medical attention from his family doctor a few days after the injury, when fever and pleuritic chest pain ensued. He was treated with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, but his chest radiograph revealed an opacified hemithorax, for which he was referred to the hospital. In the emergency department, the patient looked ill and was in distress. His heart rate was 125 beats/min, and he had a blood pressure of 103/61 mmHg, a respiratory rate of 20 breaths/min, a temperature of 38.5°C and an oxygen saturation of 94% on ambient air. Laboratory results showed a white blood cell count of 40×109/L with a left shift. Chest radiography showed a left pleural effusion. A #28 Fr chest tube was inserted into the left hemithorax, and foul-smelling serosanguineous fluid was drained. There was a transient improvement of tachypnea and hypoxemia despite minimal radiographic change. He was admitted and subsequently started on intravenous levofloxacin. Overnight, he deteriorated and required an increase in supplemental oxygen. A computed tomography (CT) scan of his chest revealed multiple loculated fluid collections and bilateral pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates consistent with a pneumonia and empyema.
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spelling doaj-art-b0199c5ef8f942bea89d9a2042be68a42025-02-03T01:26:52ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology1712-95322005-01-0116425325410.1155/2005/162957Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing AccidentRavinder Singh0Brian E Louie1William F Bennett2Christopher Allen3Tom Kelly4Christine H Lee5Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaHamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaHamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaA 17-year-old male patient presented to St Joseph's Healthcare (Hamilton, Ontario) with a radiologically opacified left hemithorax. Three days earlier, the patient had injured his left lower chest while tobogganing on his farm. He developed dyspnea and felt unwell, but only sought medical attention from his family doctor a few days after the injury, when fever and pleuritic chest pain ensued. He was treated with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent, but his chest radiograph revealed an opacified hemithorax, for which he was referred to the hospital. In the emergency department, the patient looked ill and was in distress. His heart rate was 125 beats/min, and he had a blood pressure of 103/61 mmHg, a respiratory rate of 20 breaths/min, a temperature of 38.5°C and an oxygen saturation of 94% on ambient air. Laboratory results showed a white blood cell count of 40×109/L with a left shift. Chest radiography showed a left pleural effusion. A #28 Fr chest tube was inserted into the left hemithorax, and foul-smelling serosanguineous fluid was drained. There was a transient improvement of tachypnea and hypoxemia despite minimal radiographic change. He was admitted and subsequently started on intravenous levofloxacin. Overnight, he deteriorated and required an increase in supplemental oxygen. A computed tomography (CT) scan of his chest revealed multiple loculated fluid collections and bilateral pulmonary parenchymal infiltrates consistent with a pneumonia and empyema.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2005/162957
spellingShingle Ravinder Singh
Brian E Louie
William F Bennett
Christopher Allen
Tom Kelly
Christine H Lee
Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident
Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
title Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident
title_full Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident
title_fullStr Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident
title_full_unstemmed Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident
title_short Overwhelming Pulmonary Infection after a Tobogganing Accident
title_sort overwhelming pulmonary infection after a tobogganing accident
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2005/162957
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AT williamfbennett overwhelmingpulmonaryinfectionafteratobogganingaccident
AT christopherallen overwhelmingpulmonaryinfectionafteratobogganingaccident
AT tomkelly overwhelmingpulmonaryinfectionafteratobogganingaccident
AT christinehlee overwhelmingpulmonaryinfectionafteratobogganingaccident