A febrile 80-year-old male complains of generalized weakness and foot pain. His left foot is swollen, red, and pus is draining from the wound. He tells you he has MRSA in the wound. His vital signs are P 108, R 22, BP 88/62, and SpO2 is 94% on room air. You should:

• A. administer oxygen.
• B. apply a compression dressing on his foot.
• C. administer aspirin.
• D. apply a warm compress to his foot.

Answer: (A)

In this scenario the key idea is recognizing sepsis with potential shock and the need to support oxygen delivery to tissues. The patient has signs of infection with a MRSA wound, fever, tachycardia, and hypotension, all pointing to systemic inflammatory response and possible septic shock. Supplemental oxygen helps maximize the amount of oxygen carried to organs and tissues, which is crucial when perfusion may be compromised and metabolic demand is high. Even though the SpO2 is 94% on room air, increasing the inspired oxygen improves overall oxygen delivery to cells and can help stabilize the patient while further treatment (fluids, antibiotics) is initiated.

The other options don’t address this systemic issue: a compression dressing won’t treat sepsis and could restrict circulation or worsen the infection; aspirin isn’t indicated and can increase bleeding risk; a warm compress could exacerbate local infection and doesn’t help with systemic hypoperfusion. Administering oxygen is the appropriate immediate step to support the patient’s breathing and circulation in the face of possible septic shock.