Case Study:
Lou Brown is a 58-year-old white male who comes in with a cough for the past four days. He says that the cough has been intermittent. It started out as a dry cough but over the past two days, he has started coughing up thick pale-yellow phlegm. He thinks he has had a fever but he has not actually taken his temperature. He is a smoker but has not been smoking very much the past few days as that seems to make the cough worse. He has also felt very tired. He has taken Tylenol off and on and it does help slightly. About a week and a half ago, he played poker with some friends and one of them was sick. His wife accompanies him and when you ask them both, they deny that he has had any confusion.
PMH: History of Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. He admits he has not been going to his provider on a regular basis (thinks last time he went was about 7 months ago) but his provider had refilled his meds for a year, so he has not run out of them.
Medications: lisinopril 20 mg daily; metformin 500 mg twice daily
Allergies: Penicillin
Social history: 40 pack year history of tobacco use (cigarettes); no alcohol or drugs.
Vitals: Ht: 5’4”; Wt: 190 lbs; BP: 150/94; P 88 R 26; Temp: 101.0 oral Pulse ox 96%
The questions below need to be answered at the end of the SOAP Note.
Please document the history questions you would ask the patient. What questions would you ask related to the current complaint? What questions would you ask related to his comorbidities?
What Physical assessment would you obtain? Describe what you would be looking for.
What labs/diagnostics would you order?
List your top four differential diagnoses. Explain your rationale for your top diagnosis.
What is a CURB Score?
When his labs come back, his CMP shows that his BUN is 21. Based on that information and on his presentation, what is his CURB score and how did you arrive at that score?
Based on his CURB score, should he be treated on an outpatient or inpatient basis?
His chest x-ray does indeed show infiltrates. What would be your treatment plan for him?
Name 3 health promotion topics that you should discuss with him.
What would your follow-up plan be?