23rd February 2024

A 72 year old male presents to his local emergency department with difficulty in breathing.

A 72 year old male presents to his local emergency department with difficulty in breathing. His breathing difficulties started 4 days ago with a productive cough and he is finding it increasingly difficult to walk due to his breathlessness. He also reports green purulent sputum. He is not confused but his respiratory rate appears high at over 30 breaths per minute. His HR is 110bpm, BP 99/65, O2 saturations 88% on air and temperature 37.5 degrees Celsius. His blood urea nitrogen is also measured at 9mmol/L. He has a history of gout and type two diabetes controlled by diet only.

Select the single, most appropriate management option which will help care for this patient.