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Could The Spot On The Back Which Hurts While Coughing Be Atelectasis?
I was recently hospitalized with pneumonia and completed a 7 day course of two antibiotics and a taper dose of steriods. It s been a week since i ve been off antiobiotics and steriods and i ve started coughing up green mucus and having same issues i went into the hospital with. My 02 sats remain above 95% on room air, but i have a spot in my back that really hurts when i cough, is it possible this is atelectasis or something more serious??
Mon, 12 Oct 2015
Hi
Thanks for your query and an elucidate history.
Noted your history of pneumonia treated with 2 antibiotics, and steroids in tapering doses.
Now that you have developed green mucus with coughing and have a sore spot on the back.
This can not be due to atelectasis.
The most probable reason of having a sore spot on the back which may increase on deep inspiration and coughing is pleuritis, meaning inflammation of the pleura, the covering on the lungs.
The green expectoration is suggestive of a still present infection.
I would advise you the following:
Send the green mucus for gram staining, culture and sensitivity to guide for further course of an antibiotic.
CT scan of the chest to see the exact position the internal organs are and to plan the treatment according to the findings.
Thanks for your query and an elucidate history.
Noted your history of pneumonia treated with 2 antibiotics, and steroids in tapering doses.
Now that you have developed green mucus with coughing and have a sore spot on the back.
This can not be due to atelectasis.
The most probable reason of having a sore spot on the back which may increase on deep inspiration and coughing is pleuritis, meaning inflammation of the pleura, the covering on the lungs.
The green expectoration is suggestive of a still present infection.
I would advise you the following:
Send the green mucus for gram staining, culture and sensitivity to guide for further course of an antibiotic.
CT scan of the chest to see the exact position the internal organs are and to plan the treatment according to the findings.
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