The correct answer is B. Infection is the most common cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure. This is followed closely by cardiovascular events. The etiology of increased risk of infection is multifactorial and involves a complex interplay of decreased immune response and complement activation by dialysis membranes all coupled with long-term indwelling components such as catheters. When a dialysis patient presents with infection, the first step in their management is to initiate broad antibiotic coverage based upon the likely causative organisms. This patient has an indwelling catheter and therefore has an increased risk of infection with both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative Gram-positive cocci. Given the large percentage (25% at most centers) of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin is usually initiated until sensitivity data is available. An aminoglycoside is usually added to cover for very common Gram-negative infections.
Begin antibiotic therapy with gentamicin (choice A) is inadequate since the majority of infections in patients such as these will not be covered by an aminoglycoside alone.
Sending her urine for analysis and culture (choice C), although prudent, to perform this with a negative urine dipstick for WBCs, will not change your initial management and decision to cover the patient with broad spectrum antibiotics.
Performing a lumbar puncture and sending a CSF for analysis and culture (choice D) implies meningitis as a cause for the fevers. Meningitis is a rare cause of fevers generally. And although dialysis patients are at mildly increased risk of meningeal infections, in the absence of localized signs and symptoms, the likelihood of meningitis is very low and therefore the risk of an LP is not warranted.
Schedule emergent surgical removal of her Tesio catheter (choice E) is not an appropriate initial management step in a febrile patient. This may be indicated later in the course of care, but concern over removal before antibiotics have begun, is not appropriate.
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