A Man with Shortness of Breath, Lower Extremity Edema and Tachypnea – What's Your Diagnosis?

Case presentation An adult male presented in the cardiac OPD with complaints of shortness of breath, lower extremity edema, and tachycardia that started a few days before the presentation. Patient medical background The patient was an alcoholic for a long time. He refused any cardiac events in the past.

Diagnostic workup The physical appearance of the patient was normal. Mild edema of the bilateral lower extremities was observed. Body vitals and biochemical test findings were as follows: Body vitals Temperature: 36.8°C Blood pressure: 100/60 mmHg Heart rate: 130 beats/min Respiratory rate: 24 breaths/min Pulse oximetry: 98%   Biochemical investigations Test Findings Sodium 124 mEq/L Bicarbonate 14 mEq/L Lactate 82.0 mg/dL Pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide 6062 pg/mL D-dimer Z level 0.0003 ug/mL   Imaging study The ECG of the patient on admission to the hospital revealed a left…