Leroy is a 70 year-old-man, whose wife passed away 5 years ago, and whose 2 children live out-of-state. His neighbor caretaker (Ms. Webb, a middle-aged retired CNA, whom his children hired to provide home care to him 3x/week) brings him to the clinic. He presents with quite severe confusion, incidentally to very minor changes in his environment, which provokes some violence (a symptom which startles Ms. Webb), increasingly impaired judgment, and increasing repetitiousness and inconsistencies in his usual behavior. Upon initial work-up and physical exam, you notice an increased respiratory rate, a slight fever (100°F), and costovertebral angle tenderness on his right side.
- Please provide a list of differential diagnoses, as well as an indication of a primary diagnosis.
- What additional tests would be ordered to confirm a diagnosis? Once this has been completed, please indicate and describe the chosen pharmacological treatment with inclusion of dose and mechanism of action of the chosen prescription.