Dullness To Percussion in Surgery — 64yo Man | General Surgery | SMLE Q#925
SMLE Question #925
Surgery
General Surgery
Objective: OBJ-TRACH-EMERG-01
Last updated: February 2026
A 64-year-old man is on postoperative day 1 after an open sigmoid colectomy for diverticular disease. He reports mild shortness of breath without chest pain. Lung examination shows markedly reduced breath sounds at the left base with dullness to percussion and no wheeze or crackles. A portable upright chest radiograph shows elevation of the left hemidiaphragm with left lower-zone opacification, without pleural air or a large effusion. What is the most appropriate next step in management?
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