Misdiagnosis of Emphysema
Alternative diagnoses list for Emphysema:
For a diagnosis of Emphysema,
the following list of conditions
have been mentioned in sources
as possible alternative diagnoses
to consider during the diagnostic process for Emphysema:
Diseases for which Emphysema may be an alternative diagnosis
The other diseases for which Emphysema
is listed as a possible alternative
diagnosis in their lists include:
Emphysema: Hidden Causes Misdiagnosed?
Causes of Emphysema may include these medical conditions:
Rare Types of Emphysema:
Emphysema Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Emphysema: Medical Mistakes
Related medical mistakes may include:
Emphysema: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed conditions in related areas may include:
Common Misdiagnoses and Emphysema
Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis,
when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection,
such as a common cold.
Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been
immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears
off after about 15 years.
Thus, any teen or adult with a persistent cough may actually have whooping cough.
This is particularly dangerous for babies too young to be vaccinated,
and any un-vaccinated children.
Whooping cough can be fatal to an infant.
The cough symptoms of whooping cough is usually productive initially, but then
becomes a persistent dry cough, lasting up to 100 days.
Elderly grandparents may also be a reservoir of undiagnosed whooping cough.
Chronic lung diseases hard to diagnose: Some of the chronic lung diseases
are difficult to diagnose.
Even the well-knowns conditions such as asthma or lung cancer often fail to be diagnosed early.
Some of the chronic lung diseases with diagnostic difficulties
include asthma (perhaps surprisingly), COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, mesothelioma,
smoker's cough, AIDS-related respiratory conditions (see AIDS), chronic pneumonia, and other respiratory diseases.
Rare possibilities include diseases like psittacosis (bird-related lung infection).
See other types of chronic lung diseases.
Severe asthma is a medical emergency: Severe asthma is a life
threatening condition that is resistant to standard treatment and requires
intensive medication to overcome the obstruction to the air passages. Studies
suggest that asthma is often underdiagnosed. In elderly patients, diseases such
as bronchitis or emphysema are relatively common. Proper diagnosis in these
patients can be further complicated by the difficulty some older people have performing
pulmonary function tests. However, it is important to determine the extent of
reversibility of the airflow obstruction. In children younger than age 5, the
most common cause of asthmatic symptoms is a viral upper respiratory tract
infection.
Emphysema: Rare Types
Rare types of medical disorders and diseases in related medical areas:
Failure To Diagnose Emphysema
Failure to diagnose Emphysema may be associated with the following:
- Failure to diagnose and treat emphysema can lead to a more rapid progression of the disease and increased mortality rates. The progress of emphysema can be minimized through treatment and avoidance of precipitating factors such as smoking
- Emphysema often remains undiagnosed for lengthy periods of time because the initial symptoms such as a persistent morning cough are considered not significant enough to warrant medical advice
- The absence of symptoms in the early stages of emphysema and the subtle onset of symptoms often results in patients failing to seek medical advice. It's only once the symptoms become more serious that patients tend to act
- Generally, the later the diagnosis and treatment of emphysema, the poorer the survival rate
- The damage caused by emphysema is irreversible so early diagnosis is imperative to a good prognosis
- Damage to the lungs has already occurred by the time symptoms appear
- Emphysema is a condition that develops later in life and patients with existing asthma often have and symptoms caused by developing emphysema attributed to their asthma. Thus, a pre-existing respiratory condition increases the risk of emphysema being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed
- Poor posture, poor nutrition and nervous tension may increase the risk of emphysema or exacerbate existing symptoms
- Studies show that periodontal disease may play a role in the development of emphysema as the bacteria associated with the oral condition may travel to the lungs and cause damaging infection and inflammation
- Untreated emphysema can result in complications such as heart problems, collapsed lung and pneumonia
- Undiagnosed and untreated emphysema can lead to right heart failure, pneumothorax, respiratory failure and secondary polycythemia
Notes On Hidden Causes Of Emphysema
The following may be hidden causes of Emphysema:
- The main causes of emphysema are toxic chemicals and tobacco smoke
- Other causes of emphysema include occupational exposure to chemical fumes, exposure to dust from grain, cotton, wood or mining product and a genetic disorder called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- In developing countries, inhalation of smoke while using biomass fuels for heating and cooking in poorly ventilated areas can lead to emphysema
- Air pollution may increase the death rate in emphysema sufferers and may even be implicated in the development of the condition
- Smokers who also have HIV face a greater risk of emphysema
- Certain connective tissue disorders are often involve emphysema e.g. cutis laxa and Marfan syndrome
- Some people are genetically predisposed to develop emphysema i.e. have a family history of the disease
- Fire-fighters face an increased risk of developing emphysema
- Allergies, chronic bronchitis and asthma can increase the risk of developing emphysema
Notes On Wrong Diagnosis Of Emphysema
Wrong diagnosis of Emphysema may be associated with the following:
- Emphysema is often misdiagnosed as asthma as they share similar symptoms - e.g. wheezing. Misdiagnosis of the condition leads to inappropriate treatment which can lead to further progression of emphysema.
Complications Of Misdiagnosis Of Emphysema
The following may be complications of misdiagnosis of Emphysema:
- Sputum production due to emphysema may be misdiagnosed as chronic bronchitis, smoker's cough, bronchiectasis, bronchoalveolar carcinoma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung abscess and pulmonary edema
- Shortness of breath due to emphysema may be misdiagnosed as anemia, pulmonary edema, chronic heart failure, cystic fibrosis, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and pneumonia
- Cyanosis associated with emphysema may be misdiagnosed as a heart condition
Other Notes On Misdiagnosis Of Emphysema
- Respiratory infections in emphysema patients are generally more severe and debilitating
- Emphysema sufferers need to obtain medical advice when flying as they may require an additional oxygen supply to cope with drop in cabin pressure
- Severe shortness of breath or swelling in the lower limbs may be a sign of congestive heart failure in emphysema patients
- Cessation of smoking can greatly improve symptoms and prognosis in emphysema patients. The risk of complications and mortality is also reduced
Medical news summaries about misdiagnosis of Emphysema:
The following medical news items
are relevant to misdiagnosis of Emphysema:
General Misdiagnosis Articles
Read these general articles with an overview of misdiagnosis issues.
About misdiagnosis:
When checking for a misdiagnosis of Emphysema
or confirming a diagnosis of Emphysema,
it is useful to consider what other
medical conditions might be possible misdiagnoses or other alternative
conditions relevant to diagnosis.
These alternate diagnoses of Emphysema may already have
been considered by your doctor or may need to be considered as possible
alternative diagnoses or candidates for misdiagnosis of Emphysema.
For a general overview of misdiagnosis issues for all diseases,
see Overview of Misdiagnosis.
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