Delayed Diagnosis of Pulmonary Thromboembolism Due to Overfocus on COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made it difficult for physicians to follow their usual diagnostic processes. We present the case of a 25-year-old man with adjustment disorder who developed dyspnoea. He was concerned about COVID-19, but his test result was negative. After excludi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yukinori Harada, Taro Shimizu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SMC MEDIA SRL 2020-10-01
Series:European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ejcrim.com/index.php/EJCRIM/article/view/2002
Description
Summary:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made it difficult for physicians to follow their usual diagnostic processes. We present the case of a 25-year-old man with adjustment disorder who developed dyspnoea. He was concerned about COVID-19, but his test result was negative. After excluding COVID-19, the physician concluded that his symptoms were related to his psychiatric condition. However, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism by another physician. To avoid missing a diagnosis, physicians must practice zero-based thinking, regardless of COVID-19 concerns, and not be distracted from the patient's core problems.
ISSN:2284-2594