Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays
We report the case of an elderly Asian man where a medical error and diagnostic delays obscured the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB). The patient was hospitalized for evaluation of a unilateral pleural effusion. Initially, the patient was subjected to a pleural aspiration on the wrong side due...
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2017-01-01
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doaj-7a7c969e2797430a84c6bf0550b966de2020-11-24T23:36:46ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsLung India0970-21130974-598X2017-01-01341828410.4103/0970-2113.197108Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delaysSuminda WelagedaraTokyo Moe SweKrishna Bajee SriramWe report the case of an elderly Asian man where a medical error and diagnostic delays obscured the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB). The patient was hospitalized for evaluation of a unilateral pleural effusion. Initially, the patient was subjected to a pleural aspiration on the wrong side due to a lack of bedside ultrasound guidance. Subsequently, the patient underwent several investigations but not a blind closed pleural biopsy (BCPB) due to a lack of equipment. Furthermore, the patient was deemed to be too sick to undergo a thoracoscopic pleural procedure. Eventually, a bronchoscopy was performed, and washings from the right upper lobe were cultured, which established the diagnosis of TB. This case highlights the need to use bedside ultrasound in the investigation of pleural effusions, the role of BCPB especially in frail patients and finally the utility of bronchoscopy in establishing a diagnosis of pleural TB.http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2017;volume=34;issue=1;spage=82;epage=84;aulast=WelagedaraBronchoscopyinduced sputumpleural effusiontuberculosis |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Suminda Welagedara Tokyo Moe Swe Krishna Bajee Sriram |
spellingShingle |
Suminda Welagedara Tokyo Moe Swe Krishna Bajee Sriram Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays Lung India Bronchoscopy induced sputum pleural effusion tuberculosis |
author_facet |
Suminda Welagedara Tokyo Moe Swe Krishna Bajee Sriram |
author_sort |
Suminda Welagedara |
title |
Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays |
title_short |
Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays |
title_full |
Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays |
title_fullStr |
Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays |
title_full_unstemmed |
Investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: A tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays |
title_sort |
investigating a unilateral pleural effusion: a tale of a medical error and diagnostic delays |
publisher |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
series |
Lung India |
issn |
0970-2113 0974-598X |
publishDate |
2017-01-01 |
description |
We report the case of an elderly Asian man where a medical error and diagnostic delays obscured the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis (TB). The patient was hospitalized for evaluation of a unilateral pleural effusion. Initially, the patient was subjected to a pleural aspiration on the wrong side due to a lack of bedside ultrasound guidance. Subsequently, the patient underwent several investigations but not a blind closed pleural biopsy (BCPB) due to a lack of equipment. Furthermore, the patient was deemed to be too sick to undergo a thoracoscopic pleural procedure. Eventually, a bronchoscopy was performed, and washings from the right upper lobe were cultured, which established the diagnosis of TB. This case highlights the need to use bedside ultrasound in the investigation of pleural effusions, the role of BCPB especially in frail patients and finally the utility of bronchoscopy in establishing a diagnosis of pleural TB. |
topic |
Bronchoscopy induced sputum pleural effusion tuberculosis |
url |
http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2017;volume=34;issue=1;spage=82;epage=84;aulast=Welagedara |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT sumindawelagedara investigatingaunilateralpleuraleffusionataleofamedicalerroranddiagnosticdelays AT tokyomoeswe investigatingaunilateralpleuraleffusionataleofamedicalerroranddiagnosticdelays AT krishnabajeesriram investigatingaunilateralpleuraleffusionataleofamedicalerroranddiagnosticdelays |
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