Question

Translate in a 5th graders response

There is no pulmonary embolism. The heart is borderline enlarged. The aorta and pulmonary artery are normal in
size. Coronary arteries are calcified. There is no pericardial effusion.
Pleural effusions are present, small on the left side, moderate in size on the right. There is crescent shaped atelectasis
posteriorly in both lower lobes, as well as patchy scattered airspace opacities in the upper lobes which are most consistent
with pneumonia. Very faint diffuse groundglass opacities reflect edema. The esophagus and trachea are normal. There is no
mass or lymphadenopathy in the mediastinum. Axillary lymph nodes are not enlarged. There are no significant abnormalities
in the visualized breasts or chest wall.
Upper abdominal organs are grossly normal.
There is spondylosis and arthritis in the right glenohumeral joint, no other significant osseous abnormality.
IMPRESSION:
1. No pulmonary embolism.
2. Bilateral upper lobe pneumonia. Pulmonary edema.
3. Bilateral pleural effusions and bibasilar atelectasis.

Answer 1

Here’s the report explained like I would to a 5th grader:

- There is no blood clot in the lungs. That’s good.
- The heart is a little bigger than normal.
- The big blood vessels leaving the heart look normal.
- Some of the heart’s arteries have hard spots from calcium (this can happen as people get older).
- There is no extra fluid around the heart.

About the lungs:
- There is some fluid around both lungs — a little on the left and more on the right.
- The very bottom parts of both lungs are a bit collapsed (that just means they aren’t fully open).
- The upper parts of the lungs have some patchy cloudy areas that most likely mean pneumonia (an infection in the lungs).
- There are also very faint hazy areas that show some swelling or extra fluid in the lungs.

Other things:
- The food pipe (esophagus) and the windpipe (trachea) look normal.
- There are no lumps or big swollen lymph nodes in the chest or armpits.
- The parts of the belly that were seen look normal.
- The spine shows some wear-and-tear, and there is arthritis in the right shoulder joint.

Short summary:
1) No blood clot in the lungs.
2) Pneumonia in both upper lungs and extra fluid in the lungs.
3) Fluid around both lungs and small collapsed areas at the bottoms of the lungs.

If you want, you can ask your doctor what will happen next and how they will treat the pneumonia and fluid.