title: Thoracic emergencies in immunocompromised patients.
abstract: With the increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS patients and patients receiving chemotherapy for various malignancies, the numbers of immunosuppressed patients who present to the emergency department is on the increase. Thoracic-related emergencies in these vulnerable patients are serious and challenging to diagnose for the emergency physician, due mainly to atypical presentations, atypical pathogens, and to the often tenuous state of health of the patient. This article addresses a variety of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and esophageal emergencies that are seen specifically in immunocompromised patients presenting to the emergency department. Epidemiology, clinical presentation, investigations, prognosis, management, and evidence-based recommendations are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Medicine, Zayed Military Hospital, PO Box 8313, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. sfares@bidmc.Harvard.edu
authors.forename: Saleh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fares
authors.forename: Furqan B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Irfan
mesh_terms: D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy