A 21-year-old college student complained of malaise, low-grade fever, and a harsh cough, but not of muscle aches and pains. An x-ray revealed a diffuse interstitial pneumonia in the left lobes of the lung. The WBC count was normal. The student has been ill for a week.
1.- Based on the information given, the most likely diagnosis is
a. Mycoplasma pneumonia
b. Pneumococcal pneumonia
c. Staphylococcal pneumonia
d. Influenza
e. Legionellosis
2.- Based on the information given, which of the following laboratory tests would most rapidly assist you in making the diagnosis?
a. Cold agglutinins
b. Viral culture
c. Complement fixation (CF) test
d. Gram stain of sputum
e. Culture of sputum
3.- The following laboratory data were available within 2 days: cold agglutinins-negative; complement fixation (M. pneumoniae)-1:64; viral culture-pending, but negative to date; bacterial culture of sputum on blood agar and MacConkey's agar-normal oral flora. In order to confirm the diagnosis, which of the following procedures could be ordered to achieve a specific and sensitive diagnosis?
a. Culture of the sputum on charcoal yeast extract
b. A repeat cold agglutinin test
c. A DNA probe to the 16S ribosomal RNA of an organism lacking a cell wall
d. A repeat CF test in 5 days
e. Another viral culture in 1 week
1.- Based on the information given, the most likely diagnosis is
a. Mycoplasma pneumonia
b. Pneumococcal pneumonia
c. Staphylococcal pneumonia
d. Influenza
e. Legionellosis
2.- Based on the information given, which of the following laboratory tests would most rapidly assist you in making the diagnosis?
a. Cold agglutinins
b. Viral culture
c. Complement fixation (CF) test
d. Gram stain of sputum
e. Culture of sputum
3.- The following laboratory data were available within 2 days: cold agglutinins-negative; complement fixation (M. pneumoniae)-1:64; viral culture-pending, but negative to date; bacterial culture of sputum on blood agar and MacConkey's agar-normal oral flora. In order to confirm the diagnosis, which of the following procedures could be ordered to achieve a specific and sensitive diagnosis?
a. Culture of the sputum on charcoal yeast extract
b. A repeat cold agglutinin test
c. A DNA probe to the 16S ribosomal RNA of an organism lacking a cell wall
d. A repeat CF test in 5 days
e. Another viral culture in 1 week
