Just the Facts: Adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment for cancer

Abstract

A 64-year-old male with lung cancer presents to the emergency department with one week of cough and increasing shortness of breath. At triage, his temperature is 37.3 degrees Celsius, heart rate 106 beats per minute, blood pressure 136/80, and oxygen saturation 87% on room air, which improves to 94% with 3 L of oxygen via nasal prongs. He has a chest X-ray that demonstrates bilateral patchy infiltrates. He is treated for pneumonia with antibiotics. His respiratory status worsens, with an increasing oxygen requirement. Additional history reveals that the patient recently finished treatment for lung cancer with an immune checkpoint inhibitor.