[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-25468-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":57,"doc-detail-25468-en":107},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":50,"head_meta":52,"extra_data":54,"updated_unix":56},105,"en","approach-to-acute-dyspnea","Approach to Acute Dyspnea","","This document outlines a systematic approach to the evaluation of acute dyspnea, a common and potentially life-threatening chief complaint in emergency medicine. It provides a diagnostic framework that begins with an initial assessment and progresses to pattern recognition based on chest X-ray findings and physical exam. For patients presenting with focal crackles or opacity on CXR, pneumonia is suggested, and further workup includes blood and sputum cultures. Diffuse coarse crackles or alveolar opacities point towards pulmonary edema, necessitating an assessment of cardiovascular risk factors, JVP, cardiac auscultation, leg edema, and consideration of BNP and ECG. Diffuse fine crackles or interstitial opacities suggest Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), prompting a review of medications, exposures, and possibly a Chest CT. Unilaterally decreased breath sounds with pleural effusion on CXR indicate likely pleural effusion requiring diagnostic thoracentesis. Similarly, unilaterally decreased breath sounds with pneumothorax on CXR suggest pneumothorax, with further workup depending on the etiology. Bilaterally decreased breath sounds with wheezing and no CXR opacities suggest asthma or COPD exacerbation, supported by a history of these conditions, hypercapnia on ABG, or hyperinflation on CXR. Finally, low O2 saturation with a normal lung exam and CXR in the absence of other findings may suggest Pulmonary Embolism (PE), supported by pleuritic chest pain, risk factors for PE, or signs of DVT. The diagnostic approach for PE involves a D-dimer test or CT angiogram, depending on the Wells score. The document emphasizes a structured, evidence-based approach to efficiently diagnose and manage patients with acute dyspnea.",{"@graph":14,"@context":49},[15,34],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/","Healthcare",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/approach-to-acute-dyspnea/25468",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"author":36,"headline":10,"publisher":39,"fileFormat":42,"description":12,"dateModified":43,"datePublished":43,"encodingFormat":42,"isAccessibleForFree":44,"interactionStatistic":45},"DigitalDocument",{"name":37,"@type":38},"Aurora","Person",{"url":19,"name":40,"@type":41},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-05-07",true,{"@type":46,"interactionType":47,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":48},"ViewAction","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":51,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":40,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":53,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":55,"site_id":7},25468,1778192773,{"code":4,"msg":58,"data":59},"success",[60,64,68,72,77,82,86,91,96,99,103],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":61,"show_sort_weight":62,"slug":63},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":65,"show_sort_weight":66,"slug":67},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":69,"show_sort_weight":70,"slug":71},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":73,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":74,"show_sort_weight":75,"slug":76},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":78,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":79,"show_sort_weight":80,"slug":81},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":83,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":84,"slug":85},7,40,"healthcare",{"id":87,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":92,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":94,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":98},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":100,"slug":102},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":104,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":73,"slug":106},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":58,"data":108},{"doc_id":55,"user_id":109,"nickname":37,"user_avatar":110,"doc_module":4,"category_id":83,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":11,"file_id":111,"file_url":112,"file_type":113,"file_size":114,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":115,"language":116,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":11,"faqs":11,"seo_title":117,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":56,"read_time":118},4810365810221,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","cbCairjbqdRY8mue","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairjbqdRY8mue","pdf",1168728,28,"English","Approach to Acute Dyspnea | PDF",71]