ABSTRACT
A 75-year-old man has been admitted to hospital with shortness of breath and a wheeze. He is diagnosed with an infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is treated with a course of amoxicillin 500 mg IV TDS, prednisolone 30 mg PO OD, and salbutamol and ipratropium bromide nebulisers. Shortly after his hospital admission, the patient is noted to have impaired swallowing function and is advised to be ‘nil-by-mouth’ until a nasogastric tube is sited.
