The present case demonstrates a medical intervention for a patient with Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria growth that justifies community-acquired pneumonia. The results of the blood test show no growth in blood culture, leading to the elimination of the blood infection option. According to the present clinical results, the treatment chosen for the patient, including the administration of both ceftriaxone and azithromycin, is sufficient and successful in terms of medical progress, as the bacteria are non-resistant to treatment (Peyrani et al., 2019). However, since the patient has some severe concerns in terms of the diet, the health needs also address the necessity to reconsider the triggers of nausea and vomiting and observe his dietary patterns.
As far as the treatment regimen is concerned, it is advisable the patient proceed with the current prescription, as there is progress in terms of infection suppression, and the rapid change of antibiotic might interfere with the treatment. However, during the subsequent therapy, there is an option to either change the IV azithromycin administration to oral administration, leaving the 500mg dosage, or refer to targeted pulmonary delivery in order to increase efficiency (Wang et al., 2018). The patient’s issues with diet may derive either as a side effect from treatment or his diet’s incompatibility with the antibiotics. Thus, it is advisable to interview the patient on the matter of his dietary habits and the exact time when he feels the most uncomfortable and nauseous. In case vomiting and nausea are directly correlated with the antibiotic intake, it is recommended to reduce azithromycin dosage to 250mg qday orally and observe the patient’s response. Another option would be to assign bismuth subsalicylate additionally to the existing regimen.
One-on-one conversations with the patient may be assisted with the help of distributional materials on the matter of pneumonia and overall elderly health promotion (Roussel & Frenay, 2019). Materials may include leaflets and guides about the patient’s condition and ways of its prevention in the future. Moreover, it is crucial to find ways to communicate the treatment information to the patient and family in a memorable and accessible way. For example, the researchers suggest that using online tools is beneficial in terms of patient compliance (Lu & Zhang, 2019). Indeed, patients and caregivers are prone to follow the recommendations if they have access to them anytime they need assistance.
References
Lu, X., & Zhang, R. (2019). Impact of physician-patient communication in online health communities on patient compliance: Cross-sectional questionnaire study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(5).
Peyrani, P., Mandell, L., Torres, A., & Tillotson, G. S. (2019). The burden of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in the era of antibiotic resistance. Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, 13(2), 139-152. Web.
Roussel, S., & Frenay, M. (2019). Links between perceptions and practices in patient education: A systematic review. Health Education & Behavior, 46(6), 1001-1011. Web.
Wang, Q., Mi, G., Hickey, D., Li, Y., Tu, J., Webster, T. J., & Shen, Y. (2018). Azithromycin-loaded respirable microparticles for targeted pulmonary delivery for the treatment of pneumonia. Biomaterials, 160, 107-123. Web.