A 64-year-old man presents with fever, chills and increasing shoness of breath. The patient appears in acute respiratory distress and complains of pleuritic chest pain. Physical examination shows crackles and decreased breath sounds over both lung fields. The patient exhibits tachypnea, with flaring of the nares. The sputum is rusty-yellow and displays numerous neutrophils and erythrocytes. The patient is appropriately treated with antibiotics, which of the following is the most likely outcome?
High-Yield Explanation
Although abscesses and fistulas may occur, the most common outcome of acute bacterial pneumonia is resolution, paicularly with appropriate antibiotic treatment.