Community Acquired Pneumonia
Synopsis of the Shadow Health assignment
This shadow health assignment was about Dr. Douglas, a 72-year-old woman, who came
into the clinic for complaints of shortness of breath, chest pain, nasal congestion, and a
productive cough. She reported that her symptoms started three days ago and have continued to
progress with no relief. When asked about what she does to relieve some of the pain, she stated
that she took two aspirin three times a day with no reprieve.
Dr. Douglas’s past medical history includes hypertension and chronic kidney disease. She
takes trandolapril/verapamil and chlorothiazide at home. She reports that she has been on these
medications for several years and is very compliant with only one complaint of increased
urination frequency. After completing my examination, I determined that Dr. Douglas is in
excellent health, minus the pneumonia diagnosis, with a helpful support system.
What I learned:
Pneumonia can be acquired in several different ways, such as the hospital, community,
secondary to medication, or other diseases. This assignment has a focus on community-acquired
pneumonia. This bacterial pathogen can cause severe sepsis if not treated earlier, especially in
adults, like Dr. Douglas, over the age of 60. The symptoms usually include, but are not limited
to, cough with production of sputum, dyspnea, chest pain, fever, malaise, flu-like symptoms, and
hypothermia. According to Kolditz, Ewig, and Woo, along with other medical professionals, the
suggested antimicrobial treatment of choice with high doses of amoxicillin. However, for
patients with chronic illnesses, the recommendation is amoxicillin/clavulanic acid combined with
beta-lactamase inhibitors. In this shadow health assignment, the correct medication was
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