Patient details
Ramona
Gender Female
Age 75 years old
Occupation Retired (formally a teacher)
Patient details
Illustrative patient case provided for educational purposes only
Medical history
- Ex-smoker
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Hypertension
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Depression
Treatment history prior to admission
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
- Antidepressants
- Antiplatelet medication
- Bronchodilators
- Statins
- Corticosteroids
Presenting complaint
- Admitted with a hip fracture following a fall at home
- Admitted for surgery to repair the fracture
- Patient mentions progressive clinical worsening over the past few weeks, including asthenia and dyspnoea
- Placement of an intravenous (IV) line for surgery, and pain management
- Placement of an indwelling (urinary) catheter
- Developed fever, increased cough and chills 4 days after surgery
- Admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for hypoxaemia and progressively worsening respiratory distress
Current treatment
- Non-invasive ventilation and oxygen
- Broad-spectrum antibiotics given for 48 hours with no response
- IV line for antibiotic treatment