A 68-year-old man with type 2 diabetes is brought to the emergency department with 1 day of fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, photophobia and new confusion. He takes metformin and has no known drug allergies. On examination he is drowsy but rousable (Glasgow Coma Scale 13), has marked neck stiffness, and has no focal neurologic deficit or papilledema. Blood work shows WBC 18.4 x 10^9/L (4.0-11.0), glucose 14.1 mmol/L (3.9-7.8) and creatinine 92 umol/L (60-110). Blood cultures have been drawn, and a CT of the head is planned before lumbar puncture, but the scanner will not be available for at least 1 hour.
| Heart rate | 112/min |
| Respiratory rate | 22/min |
| Temperature | 39.2 °C |
| O2 saturation | 95%, room air |
| Blood pressure | 138/82 mm Hg |
Question 1 of 6
Which of the following are the most appropriate empiric antimicrobials to start now, before CT and lumbar puncture?
Select 3. (0 / 3 selected)
Tip: right-click an answer (or press and hold on a phone) to strike it out. Drag over the question text to highlight it.