Patient History: A 44-year-old man presents with sudden onset of shaking chills, fever, and productive cough. He was in his usual state of good health until one week ago, when he developed mild nasal congestion and achiness. He otherwise felt well until last night, when he became fatigued and feverish, and he developed a cough associated with right-side pleuritic chest pain. His medical history is remarkable only for his 15-pack per year smoking habit. Physical examination: His vital signs are normal except for a temperature of 102°F.
His oxygen saturation on room air is 100%. He is comfortable, except when he coughs there are bronchial breath sounds and end-inspiratory crackles in the right lower lung field. What is the diagnosis and next best step for this condition? *This case is from the Editorial team of Docplexus and is meant for educative purposes only. The answers will be…
