Question

• you are an NP working in a family practice setting. Your patient is a 26-year-old female who comes in today complaining of cough, fatigue, and chest pain. Vital signs are all within normal limits. She has been sick for 3 weeks and anxious to get back to work. She is requesting antibiotics. As her NP, you believe she has viral bronchitis. Your treatment plan consists of symptomatic management and no antibiotics.

• Read the case study and document the following on the worksheet:

• Use the PICOT method to develop a searchable question.
• Identify one scholarly article to support your recommendation, and include the hyperlink to the article in your worksheet.
• Develop a treatment plan incorporating the evidence to discuss with your patient.

Answer 1

1. PICOT is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a good clinical question. It stands for: P--Patient/Problem. I--Intervention. C--Comparison and O -- outcome.

In this case :-

P for problem , the patient complains of cough , fatigue and chest pain

I for intervention , will provide symptomatic management and no antibiotics

C for comparison , no other alternatives except antivirals if condition worsens

O for outcome , outcome will be relief from bronchitis

2. Treatment plan for this patient :-

1) For most patients with acute bronchitis, symptoms are self-limited, resolving in about 1 to 3 weeks

2) Reassurance and symptom control are the cornerstones of care

3) Antibiotics are not recommended for routine use-only used for bacterial infections

4) Inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to development of antibiotic resistance

5) Cough: Non-pharmacological & pharmacological options