A 10-Month-Old Boy Is Brought to the Emergency Department Due

question 96

Multiple Choice

A 10-month-old boy is brought to the emergency department due to 2 days of fever, irritability, and vomiting.  The patient has had no prior significant medical conditions and has received all recommended vaccinations, including protein-conjugated, 13-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccines (PCV13) at ages 2, 4, and 6 months.  On physical examination, the patient is febrile and lethargic, with a bulging anterior fontanelle.  Lumbar puncture yields turbid fluid with an abundance of neutrophils.  Gram stain of cerebrospinal fluid reveals lancet-shaped, gram-positive diplococci.  Which of the following best explains this patient's current condition?

• A)Antigenic variation of bacterial cell wall
• B)Infection from capsule-lacking bacteria
• C)Infection from nonvaccine serotype
• D)Primary T-cell immunodeficiency
• E)T-cell-independent vaccine response

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Definitions:

Homo Erectus

An extinct species of hominid that lived from the end of the Pliocene epoch to the early Pleistocene, known for being one of the first to use fire and simple tools.

Homo Habilis

An extinct species of early human that lived in Africa, known for using stone tools.

Neurons

Specialized cells within the nervous system that transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle cells, or gland cells, primarily through electrical and chemical signals.

New Regions

Newly explored or identified areas within a field of study or geographical locations.