Pneumomediastinum from a severe asthma attack.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is a rare complication of an asthma exacerbation characterized by chest pain, dyspnea, neck swelling, and subcutaneous emphysema. Although the condition is usually benign and treatment is primarily supportive, surgical intervention may be needed if the patient develops hemodynamic or respiratory failure.

Streptococcus pneumoniae-associated pneumonia, meningitis, and endocarditis: a case of Austrian syndrome.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of hospitalization in cases of community-acquired pneumonia and meningitis in adults. It is also an uncommon cause of endocarditis in the antibiotic era. The occurrence of these three entities in one individual is rare, forming a triad termed Austrian syndrome.

Fracture risk in men with congestive heart failure risk reduction with spironolactone.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether spironolactone use is associated with fractures in men with congestive heart failure (CHF).

Background: In rats with aldosteronism, spironolactone preserves skeletal strength. However, in humans, the relationship of spironolactone to fractures is not known.

Bilateral pleural effusions in congestive heart failure.

The salt-avid state that accounts for the clinical syndrome congestive heart failure (CHF) leads to an initial expansion of intra- and subsequent rise in extravascular volumes that can include the appearance of pleural effusion. Herein, we present a 54-year-old man with a dilated cardiomyopathy who was hospitalized because of his CHF, which included bilateral pleural effusions, right hydrothorax greater than left. The pathophysiology of pleural fluid formation in CHF, previously debated, has now reached consensus, albeit not frequently reviewed.