25th February 2025

A 71-year-old gentleman has been referred to the medical take as “off legs”. You attend to clerk him

A 71-year-old gentleman has been referred to the medical take as “off legs”. You attend to clerk him. He describes a 3-day history of progressive back pain and is struggling to walk in the emergency department, which his wife describes as very unusual for him. On further questioning, he admits he has been incontinent of faeces today. He has had no other symptoms. One month earlier, he was treated for a urinary tract infection with oral antibiotics by his GP. His past medical history includes hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and metastatic lung cancer for which he has decided to decline systemic treatment.

What is the most appropriate first line treatment for this gentleman?

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