05-24-2008, 07:07 PM
A 76 yr. old man comes to your office in January with complaints of abrupt onset of cough, with small amounts of green sputum, worse in the morning, without any blood in it. He also has fever as high as 103°F, very rapid respirations (32/min), and chest pain on his right side, worsened with coughing. He exhibits some difficulty remembering the details of
his illness. On the basis of these clinical findings, you consider a diagnosis of pneumonia. Which one choice would you make?
a. Obtain a chest x-ray and schedule him to return tomorrow
b. Treat his symptoms with antipyretics and cough syrup
c. Prescribe an oral antibiotic and also antipyretics and cough syrup and schedule
him to return in 2 days
d. Admit him to the hospital in the intensive care unit for parenteral antibiotic
treatment
e. Administer a tuberculin skin test (PPD), treat his symptoms with antipyretics
and cough syrup, obtain a chest x-ray, and schedule him to return in 2 days for
interpretation of the skin test
his illness. On the basis of these clinical findings, you consider a diagnosis of pneumonia. Which one choice would you make?
a. Obtain a chest x-ray and schedule him to return tomorrow
b. Treat his symptoms with antipyretics and cough syrup
c. Prescribe an oral antibiotic and also antipyretics and cough syrup and schedule
him to return in 2 days
d. Admit him to the hospital in the intensive care unit for parenteral antibiotic
treatment
e. Administer a tuberculin skin test (PPD), treat his symptoms with antipyretics
and cough syrup, obtain a chest x-ray, and schedule him to return in 2 days for
interpretation of the skin test
