A 23-year-old nulligravid woman presents to the emergency department with severe, worsening right-sided pelvic pain. Three days ago, she was diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) at an urgent care clinic, where she received a single dose of intramuscular ceftriaxone and was prescribed oral doxycycline and metronidazole. She reports worsening pain, subjective fevers, and an inability to tolerate the oral medications due to severe nausea. Her temperature is 39.0°C (102.2°F). Pelvic examination reveals exquisite cervical motion tenderness and a palpable, tender 5-cm mass in the right adnexa. A point-of-care urine pregnancy test is negative. Arrange the following steps in the most appropriate, evidence-based sequence for the ongoing management of this patient.
- 1Perform transvaginal ultrasonography to evaluate for a tubo-ovarian abscess
- 2Admit the patient to the hospital for inpatient care
- 3Initiate an intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic regimen
- 4Observe clinical response for 48 to 72 hours on medical therapy
- 5Evaluate the need for image-guided or surgical percutaneous drainage