23rd February 2024

An 75 year old male presents to his GP with a painful right foot.

An 75 year old male presents to his GP with a painful right foot. He reports the pain started the day before and started suddenly without any injury to the foot. The pain is affecting his big toe the most and he is struggling to walk due to the severity of the pain. He otherwise appears well and reports no systemic symptoms. On examination you note that the 1st MTP on the right foot is swollen and erythematous. The joint is warm and extremely painful on any movement. His past medical history consists of obesity, allergic rhinitis and mild aortic stenosis.

Select the single, most appropriate acute management option for this patient.