A 76 year-old man is brought in to the Emergency Department with confusion, a temperature of 39.9 degrees Celsius and rigidity. From a recent clinic letter you see he lives alone at home and depends on help from his daughter, who has recently had a prolonged stay in hospital for appendicitis. Upon her discharge she went to see him, found him unwell and called 999. She had called him and he had been well the day before. He has a background of hypertension and Parkinson’s disease for which he takes ramipril, amlodipine and ‘a Parkinson’s tablet’ which he does not have with him. His chest x-ray and urine dip are clear and he is unable to give a history. A CT brain shows no acute abnormality.
What is the most appropriate intervention?
Broad spectrum antibiotics
Neurosurgical referral
Bromocriptine
Intravenous aciclovir
Cyproheptadine