Author: Nick Tilbury / Editor: Andrew Tabner / Reviewer: Nick Tilbury / Codes: / Published: 09/03/2022
A 67-year-old male attends the emergency department following a 4-day history of worsening cough productive of green sputum, right-sided pleuritic chest pain and fever. He has been in bed for the last 2 days but today his wife became concerned because he was becoming short of breath and “seemed a bit muddled.”
He has hypertension and high cholesterol, for which he takes Ramipril and simvastatin. He doesn’t smoke or drink any alcohol. He is independent with his ADLs and only recently retired as an engineer. test
His observations are as follows:
- GCS 14
- AMT score 8
- HR 122
- BP 123/67
- RR 25
- SpO2 92% on room air
- Temp 38.2
On examination he looks unwell and has some coarse crackles over the right mid zone but nothing else of note.
You suspect he has pneumonia and order a chest x-ray.
