Paper details The Case of Kenji Oshima: Is Heartburn Dangerous?
Introduction
Kenji Oshima (called KO) is a 58-year-old man who has not been to the doctor’s office for many years. He hasn’t had a physical exam by a healthcare provider in over 15 years, which is not uncommon for men of his age. He has had insurance provided by his employer, but he hasn’t used it because he hasn’t been sick. Unfortunately, over the last 8 months this has changed. In this period, KO inexplicably lost almost 20 pounds, and he just didn’t feel very well. He frequently become short of breath and nauseated, which was followed by frightening episodes where he became almost feverish and sweaty. He finally decided, with pressure from his wife and daughter, that he needed a full checkup.
The history and physical exam
