A 71 year-old man, who had smoked 40 cigarettes per day for 40 years, was treated at home for pneumonia. He remained on complete bed rest for two weeks, and seemed to be recovering, but noticed swelling of the left calf. One day later he suddenly developed severe shortness of breath, a rapid irregular pulse (atrial fibrillation), and coughed up blood (haemoptysis). He was rushed to hospital, but suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated.