22nd May 2024

A 72-year-old lady presents with shortness of breath

A 72-year-old lady presents with shortness of breath and a cough for 3 days and is seen in the acute medical unit. Her cough is productive of sputum which she describes as greenish. On examination, her oxygen saturations are 96% on air, RR is 27, BP is 110/58 mmHg and HR is 88 beats per minute. She is pyrexial. Blood tests are as follows:

Haemoglobin: 122 g/L (115-165)

White cell count: 15.6 x 10⁹/L (4.0–11.0)

Platelet count: 360 x 10⁹/L (150-400)

Serum urea: 10 mmol/L (2.5-7.0)

Serum creatinine: 108 μmol/L (60–110)

Serum eGFR: 64 mL/minute/1.73 m²

She is managed for a community acquired pneumonia with IV antibiotics for 48 hours, and is now on day four of antibiotics, which have been converted to oral. She is keen to go home. Her current NEWS score is zero, though she was pyrexial yesterday.  Which of the following statements is correct regarding antibiotic therapy?

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