Smoking

The author blogs about a particularly affecting lecture and reiterates why you should never miss a chance to offer support for smoking cessation.

A male patient was transferred for evaluation of large left bullae at risk for rupture. CT and history confirmed an interesting cause for the air pockets: marijuana, tobacco, and cocaine use.

When seven tobacco companies' CEOs, one right after the other, swore under oath before a Congressional committee, "I believe that nicotine is not addictive," I actually burst out laughing.

A male patient with a history significant for pancreatitis, alcohol dependence, and smoking presents with left-sided abdominal pain and vomiting.

A combination of brief counseling and appropriate pharmacotherapy produces the most promising outcomes for patients willing to quit.

Cigarette smoking is extremely common: in the United States, about 18% of women and 24% of men smoke cigarettes. Smoking increases the risk for various cancers, coronary artery disease, stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysms, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, peptic ulcers, fertility problems, gingival disease, and sexual dysfunction. Among smokers in the United States, about 70% express a desire to quit.

A 47-year-old African-American woman presented to the emergency department (ED) with right-sided weakness and what she described as feelings of "heaviness" in the right leg. She also complained of mild abdominal discomfort. These symptoms had been present for a few days. Her history was significant for smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for 25 years, and she also had a history of gastroesophageal reflux disease and arthritis. She denied shortness of breath or chest pain.