What Should a Microbiologist Do If He or She Finds

question 17

Multiple Choice

What should a microbiologist do if he or she finds a-hemolytic colonies on a properly collected sputum specimen on a patient suspected of having lobar pneumonia?

• A)Ignore the colonies because they are normal flora.
• B)Ignore the colonies because no known pathogens for pneumonia are a-hemolytic.
• C)Do a full workup to identify the organism.
• D)Suspect a bioterror agent, and send the isolate to a laboratory response network (LRN) reference laboratory.

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Definitions:

Successive Approximations

A technique in behaviorism used to shape behavior by rewarding actions that are progressively closer to the desired behavior.

Shaping Behavior

A method in operant conditioning involving the reinforcement of successive approximations to a desired behavior.

Reinforcing

In behavioral psychology, it pertains to strengthening a behavior by providing a consequence that is rewarding, thereby increasing the likelihood of the behavior's recurrence.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus, leading to learned responses.