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An 83-year-old man is transferred to the hospital from his nursing home due to hypotension and confusion. He was previously well until yesterday morning, when the nursing staff observed that he seemed lethargic and spent the day in bed. Later that night, the staff tried to communicate with him but he was not oriented to place or time. His medical history is significant for hypertension, COPD, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and urinary incontinence requiring a urethral catheter. He is compliant with medications, has no recent medication changes, and has no sick contacts. On examination, his temperature is 35.4°C, his blood pressure is 68/44 mmHg, his heart rate is 88 beats per minute, and his respiratory rate is 18 breaths per minute. He is lethargic with flat neck veins; his cardiac examination is normal. His lungs are clear to auscultation, and there is no significant abdominal tenderness. His neurologic examination is normal, and his extremities are warm and well perfused. His laboratory values are significant for a leukocyte count of 13,500/mm3 and a serum lactate of 3.9 mmol/L (normal range 0.6 to 2.3 mmol/L). A urinalysis shows significant pyuria. A chest x-ray shows hyperinflated lungs but no focal opacities. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Question

An 83-year-old man is transferred to the hospital from his nursing home due to hypotension and confusion. He was previously well until yesterday morning, when the nursing staff observed that he seemed lethargic and spent the day in bed. Later that night, the staff tried to communicate with him but he was not oriented to place or time. His medical history is significant for hypertension, COPD, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and urinary incontinence requiring a urethral catheter. He is compliant with medications, has no recent medication changes, and has no sick contacts. On examination, his temperature is 35.4°C, his blood pressure is 68/44 mmHg, his heart rate is 88 beats per minute, and his respiratory rate is 18 breaths per minute. He is lethargic with flat neck veins; his cardiac examination is normal. His lungs are clear to auscultation, and there is no significant abdominal tenderness. His neurologic examination is normal, and his extremities are warm and well perfused. His laboratory values are significant for a leukocyte count of 13,500/mm3 and a serum lactate of 3.9 mmol/L (normal range 0.6 to 2.3 mmol/L). A urinalysis shows significant pyuria. A chest x-ray shows hyperinflated lungs but no focal opacities. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

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Solution

The patient's presentation is suggestive of sepsis, likely secondary to a urinary tract infection (UTI) given his urinary catheter and the presence of pyuria on urinalysis. Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. It is characterized by alterations in mental status, hypotension, and evidence of end-organ dysfunction, which in this case is indicated by the elevated lactate level.

The most appropriate next step in management is to initiate broad-spectrum antibiotics and fluid resuscitation. This should be done as soon as possible, ideally within the first hour of recognizing sepsis. The choice of antibiotics should cover the likely pathogens given the patient's clinical scenario. In this case, the patient likely has a UTI, so the antibiotics should cover common urinary pathogens. Fluid resuscitation with isotonic crystalloids (eg, 0.9% saline) is also important to improve the patient's hypotension and perfusion.

In addition to antibiotics and fluids, blood cultures should be obtained, but they should not delay the administration of antibiotics. The patient should also have a lactic acid level rechecked within 2-4 hours to assess the response to resuscitation.

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