A surgical team evaluates a 74-year-old man on the third day after he underwent an open low anterior resection for a rectal adenocarcinoma. Over the past 24 hours, the patient has required an escalating amount of supplemental oxygen and is now complaining of severe shortness of breath and a cough productive of pink, frothy sputum. He has a medical history significant for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, and a myocardial infarction four years ago. During the surgery, he experienced significant hemorrhage requiring the transfusion of three units of packed red blood cells and the administration of 4 liters of normal saline.
His current temperature is 37.8°C (100.0°F), blood pressure is 165/95 mm Hg, pulse is 114/min, and respiratory rate is 28/min. Pulse oximetry indicates an oxygen saturation of 85% on room air. Physical examination demonstrates distended jugular veins when positioned at 45 degrees. Auscultation of the chest reveals bilateral crackles extending up to the mid-scapular regions, accompanied by scattered expiratory wheezes. Cardiac auscultation reveals a regular tachycardia with a prominent S3 gallop. The abdominal incision is well-approximated with no erythema or drainage.
Which of the following are the most appropriate immediate steps in the management of this patient's condition? (Select 2)
- Intravenous administration of a loop diureticCevap
- Initiation of noninvasive positive pressure ventilationCevap
- CIntravenous administration of systemic glucocorticoids
- DSputum culture collection and initiation of empiric piperacillin-tazobactam
- EEmergent computed tomography angiography of the pulmonary arteries