A 62-year-old male patient is evaluated in the emergency department for three days of progressively worsening left lower quadrant abdominal pain accompanied by chills. His vital signs show a temperature of 38.6°C (101.5°F), blood pressure of 128/78 mmHg, and heart rate of 92/min. On physical examination, there is focal tenderness and voluntary guarding in the left lower quadrant, but the abdomen is not rigid and there is no diffuse rebound tenderness. Laboratory evaluation reveals a leukocyte count of 16,500/mm³. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis confirms severe sigmoid diverticulitis complicated by a 5.5-cm, well-defined peri-colonic fluid collection.
Arrange the following management steps in the most appropriate chronological sequence for this patient, from immediate acute care to definitive long-term management.
- 1Initiate broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics
- 2Perform CT-guided percutaneous drainage of the fluid collection
- 3Perform a colonoscopy to rule out underlying colorectal malignancy
- 4Proceed with an elective sigmoid colectomy