Your 49-Year-Old Mother Has Just Been Diagnosed with Subacute Endocarditis

question 20

Multiple Choice

Your 49-year-old mother has just been diagnosed with subacute endocarditis with the following symptoms: fever, a rash, and early congestive heart failure.You wonder how this infection occurred, particularly since she appeared to be healthy before this.Which of the following questions for her physician is most pertinent to understanding the cause of this infection?

• A)Is this infection related to menopause?
• B)Could she have contracted this from a mosquito bite, since she does so much gardening?
• C)Could she have AIDS?
• D) Does she have an abnormal heart valve or a murmur?

---

Definitions:

Primary Dye

A basic colorant used in staining or coloring materials, essential for establishing the base color in various applications.

Staining Technique

A laboratory method used to enhance the visibility of cells or cell components under a microscope by applying colored chemicals.

Catheterization

The process of inserting a catheter (a thin tube) into a body cavity, duct, or vessel to allow for drainage, injection of fluids, or access by surgical instruments.

Diabetes Insipidus

A rare disorder characterized by intense thirst and the excretion of large amounts of urine, not related to diabetes mellitus, caused by a lack of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or a resistance to it.