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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Breathing Problem Be Misdiagnosed As Pneumonia, Have History Of COPD?

My mother-in-law is having trouble breathing she went to urgent care they took xrays . They are treating her for pneumonia but the x ray doesn t show it. She was diagnosed with COPD 5 years ago and has just recently stopped smoking. the xrays just say no acute cardiopulmonary disease. Retrocardiac Hiatal hernia. Emphysematous configuration to the chest. They have her on oxygen 3 per. steroids, antibiotics and 4 pills a day for cough and breathing treatments. It doesn t make sense.
Wed, 17 Dec 2014
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Pulmonologist,  's  Response
Thanks for your question on HCM.
In my opinion she is having acute exacerbation of COPD at present.
The most common cause for this is infectious exacerbation. And viral infection is common cause.
Untreated viral infection can lead to secondary bacterial infection.
So antibiotics are must in the treatment.
And chest x ray can be normal in early pneumonia.
But this should not be the reason for stopping antibiotics.
We have to give prophylactic antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection.
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Can Breathing Problem Be Misdiagnosed As Pneumonia, Have History Of COPD?

Thanks for your question on HCM. In my opinion she is having acute exacerbation of COPD at present. The most common cause for this is infectious exacerbation. And viral infection is common cause. Untreated viral infection can lead to secondary bacterial infection. So antibiotics are must in the treatment. And chest x ray can be normal in early pneumonia. But this should not be the reason for stopping antibiotics. We have to give prophylactic antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection.