You Examine a Patient Who Is Complaining of Belching (Burping)

question 73

Multiple Choice

You examine a patient who is complaining of belching (burping) , bloating, and some vomiting. She also has some abdominal discomfort which she describes as a dull, burning pain that is worse when she is hungry and is often relieved when she takes antacids. You suspect that she may have Helicobacter pylori gastritis, and send her for a urea breath test. The breath test is positive; based on this, you get the patient's stool tested for blood, and you send her for an endoscopy, during which a biopsy is taken. Your diagnosis is confirmed by the results of these tests and that she does indeed have H. pylori.
-Helicobacter pylori, a curved, Gram-negative microaerophilic motile bacterium. Based on this, how do you describe the organism to your patient?

• A) The organism causing your signs and symptoms is a virus that requires oxygen for survival, has a thin cell wall composed of a compound called peptin, and can move by means of tail-like structures called flagella.
• B) The organism causing your signs and symptoms is a bacterium that requires atmospheric levels of oxygen for survival, has a thick cell wall composed of a compound called peptidoglycan, and can move by means of appendages called cilia.
• C) The organism causing your signs and symptoms is a protozoan that requires low levels of oxygen for survival, has a thin cell wall composed of a compound called chitin, and moves around your stomach by means of structures called flagella.
• D) The organism causing your signs and symptoms is a bacterium that requires low levels of oxygen for survival, has a thin cell wall composed of a compound called peptidoglycan, and can move by means of tail-like structures called flagella.
• E) The organism causing your signs and symptoms is a bacterium that cannot grow in the presence of oxygen, has a thick cell wall composed of a compound called peptidoglycan, and can move by means of tail-like structures called flagella.

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Definitions:

Excite

To cause a heightened state of energy or activity in a physical or psychological context.

Action Potentials

Action potentials are rapid, temporary changes in the electrical charge of a cell's membrane, allowing for the transmission of signals in nerve and muscle cells.

Axons

Long, slender projections of nerve cells (neurons) that transmit electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Myelin

A fatty substance that surrounds and insulates the axons of some neurons, enhancing the speed and efficiency of electrical signal transmission.