A 75-Year-Old Patient with Community-Acquired Pneumonia Presents with a Temperature

A 75-year-old patient with community-acquired pneumonia presents with a temperature of 102.1°F, chills, productive cough, blood pressure 90/62, respiratory rate 28, white blood count 12,000, and blood urea nitrogen 20 mg/dl. He has a history of mild dementia and his mental status is unchanged from his last visit. These findings indicate that the patient:

A) Can be treated as an outpatient
B) Requires hospitalization for treatment
C) Requires a high dose of parenteral antibiotic
D) Can be treated with oral antibiotics