A 79-Year-Old Woman With Dyspnea and Hypoxemia That Worsened in an Upright Position

A 79-year-old woman presented to the ED with complaints of gradually worsening exertional dyspnea, dizziness, and chest discomfort. For several weeks she had not been able to perform light household work. The patient's medical history mentioned pulmonary embolism following immobilization (2012), several fractures after trauma, an ischemic cerebral vascular accident (2014), and curative treatment for breast cancer (1995). Her current medication included esomeprazole, clopidogrel, simvastatin, calcium/vitamin D, amitriptyline, and acetaminophen.