A 2-Hour-Old Girl Develops Tachypnea and Grunting in the Newborn

question 274

Multiple Choice

A 2-hour-old girl develops tachypnea and grunting in the newborn nursery.  The patient was born via cesarean delivery to a 26-year-old mother, gravida 2 para 2.  Respiratory rate is 82/min.  The other vital signs are within normal limits.  Physical examination shows grunting and subcostal retractions but clear lungs.  Blood culture reveals gram-positive rods after 11 hours of incubation.  Which of the following pathogens is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

• A)Clostridium tetani
• B)Corynebacterium species
• C)Escherichia coli
• D)Listeria monocytogenes
• E)Streptococcus agalactiae
• F)Streptococcus pneumoniae