An 83-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to a 1-Week

question 158

Multiple Choice

An 83-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to a 1-week history of fever, malaise, cough, right-sided chest pain, and worsening dyspnea.  Temperature is 38.4 C (101.1 F) , blood pressure is 116/70 mm Hg, and pulse is 98/min.  On physical examination, the patient is frail appearing.  Breath sounds are decreased on the right side.  Heart sounds are normal.  The abdomen is soft and nontender.  Chest x-ray shows a moderate-sized right pleural effusion.  Thoracentesis yields purulent fluid.  Pleural fluid analysis reveals a large number of leukocytes with 80% neutrophils.  Which of the following is the most likely underlying mechanism for this patient's pleural effusion?

• A)Bacterial translocation from alveoli into pleural space
• B)Contiguous spread from a mediastinal focus
• C)Direct inoculation into the pleural space
• D)Hematogenous dissemination of a distant infection
• E)Reactivation of a dormant infection

---

Definitions:

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism, consisting of all the genes and alleles present in its DNA.

Tongue Rolling

The ability to roll the tongue into a tube shape, thought to be influenced by genetic factors.

Genotype

Referring to the entire set of an organism's genes and their combinations, it essentially underpins potential and inherited traits.

P Generation

The parent generation in a genetic cross, from which offspring are derived in subsequent generations.