A 70-year-old male in a nursing home presents with a cough, low-grade fever, and general weakness. On physical examination, there are crackles in the right lower lobe. What are your considerations and next steps?
Given this patient's residence in a nursing home, one must consider the possibility of nursing home-acquired pneumonia. The next steps would include a chest X-ray to confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia and blood tests including complete blood count and blood cultures. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the patient may require hospitalization and treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics that cover the common pathogens seen in healthcare-associated pneumonia, including resistant organisms.