1st March 2024

A 4-year-old boy presented to ED with a 2 day history of sore throat and fever.

A 4-year-old boy presented to ED with a 2 day history of sore throat and fever. This morning he woke up and was struggling to breath, and his mum noticed he was drooling a lot. He is most comfortable sitting upright. The child was born at term and had no complications. There are no developmental concerns and he has not had his vaccinations.

On Examination, he has a soft stridor, tripod position and a muffled voice. His obs are:

HR 128bpm (80-150bpm)

RR 32breaths/min (17-30 breaths/min)

O2 sats 92% (97-99%)

Temp 39.5C (36.1-37.2C)

BP 90/70mmHg (SBP 75-110mmHg)

CRT 4s (<2s)

He has a penicillin allergy. He weighs 18Kg.

He has been given oxygen and steroids by the emergency department. Please prescribe an appropriate antimicrobial for this boy.