A Perfect Storm

"A Perfect Storm" by William Janssen. This clinical problem solving article concerns a 21-year-old male college student who presented to the student health center after two days of extreme fatigue. Over the course of the previous two months, frequent headaches, difficulty concentrating, and a decrease in his capacity for exercise had developed. He recently had had several days of nasal congestion and sore throat, but these symptoms had improved. A cursory physical examination showed no abnormalities, but his oxygen saturation on pulse oximetry was only 55 percent, which was most unexpected. The blood gas values indicated a respiratory acidosis. The discussant and clinical analysis examinee approached to the diagnosis in the patient with the evidence of hypoventilation. (117 words)

• perfect storm: A situation where a calamity is caused by the convergence and amplifying interaction of a number of factors. 
• cursory: hasty; superficial; careless