Welcome back to Mystery Case Monday! We will be posting a hypothetical case every week to get our pre-health students thinking about various clinical issues and the anatomical/physiological causes that underlie them. Join us in the comments section to share your insights and tentative diagnoses, then check back on Friday to read about the diagnosis and recommended treatments of these cases.
This week's hypothetical patient is a 22-year-old college student. She scheduled an appointment at her university's health center because she has been experiencing what she thought was just a cold for a whole week and a half and she hasn't started feeling any better despite taking over-the-counter cough medicine. She has a persistent headache that has become increasingly painful in the last few days. She has had a runny, stuffy nose and a cough for about a week. She is experiencing intense sinus pressure behind her cheeks and eyes and has felt tired and drained from being sick. She is also dealing with postnasal drip that appears green when she is able to cough it up. She finally decided to see her physician when she developed a fever. Following an examination, her doctor prescribes a decongestant and fluticasone. He tells her to get lots of fluids and rest and that she can take Tylenol as needed to help relieve her pain. He also recommends that she use a humidifier in her dorm room.
Thought Questions:
This week's hypothetical patient is a 22-year-old college student. She scheduled an appointment at her university's health center because she has been experiencing what she thought was just a cold for a whole week and a half and she hasn't started feeling any better despite taking over-the-counter cough medicine. She has a persistent headache that has become increasingly painful in the last few days. She has had a runny, stuffy nose and a cough for about a week. She is experiencing intense sinus pressure behind her cheeks and eyes and has felt tired and drained from being sick. She is also dealing with postnasal drip that appears green when she is able to cough it up. She finally decided to see her physician when she developed a fever. Following an examination, her doctor prescribes a decongestant and fluticasone. He tells her to get lots of fluids and rest and that she can take Tylenol as needed to help relieve her pain. He also recommends that she use a humidifier in her dorm room.Thought Questions:
What is the most likely diagnosis for this patient?
What are the various underlying causes that can lead to this condition?
Given the prescription of a decongestant and fluticasone, which of the underlying causes did her physician suspect?
No comments:
Post a Comment