A 63-Year-Old Man Is Brought to the Emergency Department Due

question 319

Multiple Choice

A 63-year-old man is brought to the emergency department due to high fever, confusion, headache, watery diarrhea, and cough.  The patient smokes 2 packs of cigarettes daily and has a history of chronic bronchitis.  Temperature is 40.1 C (104.2 F) , blood pressure is 100/70 mm Hg, pulse is 91/min, and respirations are 28/min.  Sputum Gram staining reveals numerous neutrophils but no bacteria.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's current condition?

• A)Coccidioides immitis
• B)Klebsiella pneumoniae
• C)Legionella pneumophila
• D)Mycobacterium kansasii
• E)Mycoplasma pneumoniae

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Definitions:

Empirical Data

Information obtained through observation or experimentation rather than theory or pure logic.

Crystal Ball

A metaphorical term often used to describe the act of predicting future events with certainty.

Project Management

The practice of initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing the work of a team to achieve specific goals and meet specific success criteria.

Analytical Approach

A method of problem solving that involves breaking down a system into its smallest parts and understanding how those parts relate to one another.