A 70‑year‑old man with advanced COPD on a palliative care programme develops community‑acquired pneumonia. He has previously stated that he wants

Question

A 70‑year‑old man with advanced COPD on a palliative care programme develops community‑acquired pneumonia. He has previously stated that he wants active treatment for reversible episodes but does not want intubation or ICU admission (ward‑level ceiling). Is antibiotic treatment appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Yes — treating pneumonia in a palliative COPD patient with a ward‑level ceiling is consistent with palliative care principles and may restore his baseline function

Answer

Only intravenous antibiotics are appropriate as the preferred next management strategy at this stage in the clinical context described

Answer

Pneumonia should only be treated if the patient has more than 6 months to live as the preferred next management strategy in this patient

Answer

Antibiotics are never appropriate once a patient is on a palliative care register as the preferred next management strategy in this patient

Answer

No — palliative care means no active treatment for any condition as the preferred next management strategy at this stage in the clinical context described

Active Treatment Within Palliative Care — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

A 70‑year‑old man with advanced COPD on a palliative care programme develops community‑acquired pneumonia. He has previously stated that he wants active treatment for reversible episodes but does not want intubation or ICU admission (ward‑level ceiling). Is antibiotic treatment appropriate?