A 52-year-old female presented to the emergency department (ED) resuscitation unit with a 5-day history of progressive shortness of breath and productive cough of
green sputum. She described some brief episodes of hot and cold spells but had no documented fever or rigors.
"Those who have severe trouble breathing, or start coughing
green sputum, might have a lung infection and should go to the emergency department," he added.
SYMPTOMS Shortness of breath, a high temperature, a cough and yellow or
green sputum and mucus.
The doctor said if one has a sustained fever for five days, expectorates thick,
green sputum and the lymph nodes near the neck are swollen, it is a bacterial infection.
A bacterial infection usually causes yellow or
green sputum, an allergic reaction normally produces colourless sputum, and fluid in the lungs may result in frothy, pink sputum.
The patient also had a cough and had recently begun producing thick,
green sputum, but said she'd had no chest pain, fever, or lower extremity swelling.
Knowing she was asthmatic I opted to make her cough - she produced
green sputum, indicating a chest infection - and looking at the drugs chart, there are several gaps where doses given have not been updated by previous nurses on duty.
A 74-year-old white woman with a history of congestive heart failure (CHF) and an ejection fraction of 40%, coronary artery disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is admitted with a 1-week history of increasing shortness of breath and a cough productive of
green sputum. She is now short of breath at rest.
Signs: 37.4[degrees]C, bilateral basal crackles F 57 COPD (b) Yes (5/7) coryza, sore throat, thick
green sputum. Signs: poor air entry and bilateral crackles M 65 Mild No (3/7) cough, upper hypertension respiratory symptoms.
Main symptoms are shortness of breath and a cough which results in yellow or
green sputum. There may also be a fever and some pain in the chest.
This is true even in patients with
green sputum, which, contrary to myth, is not evidence of bacterial infection.
The presence of yellow or
green sputum may also suggest this diagnosis.
