17th January 2024

A 63-year-old gentleman is on day 2 of his hospital admission, where he is being treated for a pneumococcal pneumonia.

A 63-year-old gentleman is on day 2 of his hospital admission, where he is being treated for a pneumococcal pneumonia. He becomes increasingly short of breath and hypoxic despite 15L oxygen via a non-rebreather mask. His chest x-ray reveals widespread bilateral shadowing. You transfer him to the acute respiratory unit, where he is started on CPAP at a pressure of 5cm H2O, but fails to maintain his oxygen saturations despite this. Based on the suspected likely diagnosis, what is the optimal way to manage this patient?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.