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presents to the emergency department with a 2-day history of fever, chills, cough, and right-sided pleuritic chest pain. On the day of admission, the patient’s family noted that he was more lethargic and dizzy and was falling frequently. The patient’s vital signs are: temperature, 101.5°F; heart rate, 120 bpm; respiratory rate, 30 breaths/min; blood pressure, 70/35 mm Hg; and oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry, 80% without oxygen supplementation. A chest radiograph shows a right lower lobe infiltrate.
This patient’s condition can best be defined as which of the following?
a Multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS)
b Sepsis
c Septic shock
d Severe sepsis
e Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
What is the first step in the initial management of this patient?
a Antibiotic therapy
b ß-Blocker therapy to control heart rate
c Intravenous (IV) fluid resuscitation
d Supplemental oxygen and airway management
e Vasopressor therapy with dopamine
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