"CURB" your enthusiasm and consider HIV.

We present the case of a 40-year old female who was initially seen by her GP and the Emergency Department with pneumonia failing to respond to oral antibiotics. Her severity assessment score categorised her as being in a low risk group and she was discharged. Subsequent admission and further investigations diagnosed Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Pneumocystis jeruvici pneumonia.

The physiologic evaluation of patients with lung cancer being considered for resectional surgery.

The preoperative physiologic assessment of a patient being considered for surgical resection of lung cancer must consider the immediate perioperative risks from comorbid cardiopulmonary disease, the long-term risks of pulmonary disability, and the threat to survival due to inadequately treated lung cancer. As with any planned major operation, especially in a population predisposed to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by cigarette smoking, a cardiovascular evaluation is an important component in assessing perioperative risks. Measuring the FEV(1) and the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) measurements should be viewed as complementary physiologic tests for assessing risk related to pulmonary function.

Initial evaluation of the patient with lung cancer: symptoms, signs, laboratory tests, and paraneoplastic syndromes.

This chapter describes the components of the initial evaluation for a patient either suspected or known to have lung cancer. The components of the initial evaluation are based on the recognized manifestations of localized lung cancer, ie, symptoms referable to the primary tumor, intrathoracic spread of lung cancer, and patterns of metastatic dissemination. Features of the history and physical signs may be useful indicators of the extent of disease.