A 69-year-old male is transported to the acute care bay by paramedics following an abrupt onset of severe respiratory distress and profound diaphoresis that commenced one hour prior to arrival. His past medical history includes long-standing essential hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and a 40-pack-year smoking history. Upon arrival, he is extremely agitated, using accessory muscles of respiration, and cannot speak in full sentences.
Vital signs are temperature C ( F), blood pressure mm Hg, pulse /min, and respirations /min. Oxygen saturation is on room air.
Physical examination reveals neck veins distended to the angle of the jaw while the patient is sitting upright. Lung auscultation demonstrates diffuse, high-pitched expiratory wheezes bilaterally with a significantly prolonged expiratory phase; no crackles are appreciated. Cardiac auscultation reveals a regular, rapid rhythm with a loud S2, though other heart sounds are obscured by the respiratory noise.
Arterial blood gas analysis on room air shows:
pH:
PaCO : mm Hg
PaO : mm Hg
HCO : mEq/L
An electrocardiogram reveals sinus tachycardia with voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy and secondary ST-segment repolarization abnormalities.
Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management step for this patient?
- AAdministration of nebulized albuterol, intravenous magnesium sulfate, and systemic corticosteroids
- BAdministration of intravenous labetalol and a bolus of intravenous furosemide
- Initiation of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation and an intravenous nitroglycerin infusionCevap
- DImmediate endotracheal intubation and empiric intravenous piperacillin-tazobactam
- EIntravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate and continuous nebulized ipratropium