John is a 24-year-old who presents to urgent care with a 2 week history of cough and congestion. He says it started out as a “normal cold” and it will not go away. He has a productive cough of green mucous and has green nasal discharge. He says that he has had a low-grade temperature for the past 2 days. John reports an intermittent frontal headache with this cold. He is otherwise healthy, with no known drug allergies.
The patient’s assessment is as follows:
Vital signs are stable and temperature is 99.9°F. Tympanic membranes (TMs) are clear bilaterally, pharynx is pink with no exudate, he has greenish postnasal drainage, turbinates’ are swollen and red, there is tenderness when frontal sinuses palpated, there is no cervical adenopathy, and lungs are clear.
Answer the following questions.
- What medications do you anticipate being prescribed/recommended and why?
- What patient education would you anticipate giving the patient regarding the medications you chose?
