Leukaemia presenting as respiratory distress in a child with asthma.
Asthma is the most common reason for children to present to an emergency department complaining of shortness of breath. The diagnosis, based on one or more of a positive history of atopy, physical examination findings consistent with reactive airways disease, and a clinical response to bronchodilator therapy is usually straightforward. It is important however, to consider other diagnoses, particularly when patients present differently from that which has previously been documented and/or have unexplained physical findings.
Heath
J A
JA
Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA. heathj@mskcc.org
D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis