They have a fever

Patient comes in with a fever

The case study mentions an operation or wound/injury

It's an infection of a wound/indwelling medical device.

This is often caused by:

Streptococcus aureus/pyogenes,

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

or Enterococci

They have:

Mental decline (e.g. sleepy, confusion)

Muscle pain/aches

Breathing issues

and/or

discoloured skin and heart irregularity

Sepsis

Treat with IV antibiotics ASAP,

Low doses of corticosteroids may alleviate pathology

Risk of multidrug resistance is high.

Clean wound/dressing often

May need to remove medical device

Treat with Vancomycin

The patient (Usually a child) has a rash

and also...

Photosensitivity

Vomitting/Nausea

and/or Muscle Pain

Meningitis

Test CSF

If positive for N.meningitidis treat with IV antibiotics and corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling and seizures

The patient has abdominal pain

Test for rebound tenderness

Tender, hard, abdomen?

Apendicitis or Hepatitis

(Depending on which area hurts)

Treat with antibiotics and, in the case of apendicitis, surgical removal of the organ

If they have symptoms of diarrhea? bloody stool or foul smelling stool?

Gastroenteritis?

Hepatitis/Liver Abcessess

Provide fluids as well as antibiotics

They have ALSO mentioned being abroad recently, in a country at-risk for tropical disease

Mental Deterioration?

Could be

Mycobacterium

Salmonella typhi

Do a CSF test if this continues after being given fluids, as mental issues can be a result of fever and dehydration

They have respiratory issues (coughing, irregular sputum, difficulty breathing etc...)

Drooling?

Dyspnea?

Assess tonsils

Tonsilitis?

Treat with antibiotics and surgically remove if necessary

Consolidation present?

Usually pneumonia

Consolidation AND coughing up blood/bloody sputum

TB

Both require O2 support, IV antibiotics, and IV fluids