04-06-2009, 04:10 PM
A 2-year-old girl with tricuspid atresia has increasing respiratory distress for 2
days. She has been recovering uneventfully from an operation 10 days ago to join
systemic venous return with pulmonary arterial circulation. Over the past 4 days,
she has been weaned off mechanical ventilation, started on oral feedings, and
is receiving chest physiotherapy for atelectasis. Her temperature is 37.4 C (99.3 F),
blood pressure is 98/64 mm Hg, pulse is 120/min, and respirations are 46/min.
Examination shows nasal flaring, grunting, and intercostal retractions. An x-ray
film of the chest shows large bilateral pleural effusions. Thoracentesis yields 300
mL of whitish-yellow fluid. The supernatant remains uniformly opaque on
centrifugation. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the pleural
effusions?
A) Chylothorax
B) Congestive heart failure
C) Empyema
D) Pulmonary embolism
E) Superior vena cava obstruction
days. She has been recovering uneventfully from an operation 10 days ago to join
systemic venous return with pulmonary arterial circulation. Over the past 4 days,
she has been weaned off mechanical ventilation, started on oral feedings, and
is receiving chest physiotherapy for atelectasis. Her temperature is 37.4 C (99.3 F),
blood pressure is 98/64 mm Hg, pulse is 120/min, and respirations are 46/min.
Examination shows nasal flaring, grunting, and intercostal retractions. An x-ray
film of the chest shows large bilateral pleural effusions. Thoracentesis yields 300
mL of whitish-yellow fluid. The supernatant remains uniformly opaque on
centrifugation. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the pleural
effusions?
A) Chylothorax
B) Congestive heart failure
C) Empyema
D) Pulmonary embolism
E) Superior vena cava obstruction