Posted: July 8th, 2017

What additional laboratory or radiological tests would be indicated and why? What would you expect to find?

JT is a fifty-five-year-old man with a three-day history of worsening shortness of breath, fever, chills, right-sided chest pain, and productive cough. He states that the initial symptoms started approximately one week ago. He has been taking over-the-counter (OTC) medications to control the fever and the cough. He comes in today because he feels that he is getting worse. He is coughing up rust-colored mucus, and the chest pain has started to make breathing even more difficult. His physical exam is normal, with the exception of tachypnea, labored breathing, coarse rhonchi through the right lung field, and decreased breath sounds on the right. Answer the following questions:

• What additional laboratory or radiological tests would be indicated and why? What would you expect to find?
• What is your diagnosis?
• What medication would be given and for what period of time?