Much ado about nothing

Nishaki Kiran Mehta1, Sarah Doaty, Sian Spurney

  • 1Department of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington DC 20037, USA. drnishakimehta@gmail.com

Thirty-year-old woman with history of AIDS and anxiety presented with palpitations. Although clinically euvolemic, she was aggressively fluid resuscitated in lieu of sinus tachycardia. She developed unilateral pulmonary edema on account of left decubitus positioning and volume resuscitation. Given her normal cardiac, renal, and liver status, she spontaneously cleared the extra fluid, and the pulmonary edema resolved. This case highlights the importance of recognizing transient unilateral pulmonary edema and need for early radiographs to document clearance and prevent unnecessary testing.

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