19th February 2025

A 56-year-old male lorry driver has acute onset shortness of breath for 1 day.

A 56-year-old male lorry driver has acute onset shortness of breath for 1 day. This is associated with a dry cough and light-headedness. He is a smoker and has hypertension, type 2 diabetes and COPD.

On examination, he is sweaty, his chest is clear and JVP is raised. He is saturating 90% on room air, HR 105 bpm, RR 24/minute, BP 89/60 mmHg.

What is the most appropriate management?

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