The Real-World Boards: Question #32
Give the poor guy some oxygen, wouldja
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A 57-year-old man presents to the emergency department with three days of fevers, chills, malaise, and worsening dyspnea. He has no history of heart failure.
He is placed on non-rebreather oxygen. Vitals 10 minutes later are:
On exam, work of breathing is elevated but appears sustainable. There are crackles and diminished breath sounds at the left lung base. Neck veins are not elevated. There is no edema.
White blood cell count is 16,000. Arterial blood gas shows pH 7.38, pCO2 30, paO2 55. Other labs are unremarkable.
Chest radiograph shows a left lower lobe consolidation. Ceftriaxone and azithromycin are infused.
