CASE 2: Mrs. Smith, a 62-year-old housewife, is admitted to…
CASE 2: Mrs. Smith, a 62-year-old housewife, is admitted to the hospital with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps that have become severe. Mrs. Smith’s daughter states that her mother was complaining of blurred vision and difficulty swallowing when they were having lunch. Upon assessment, the nurse observes drooping of the patientês eyelids and facial muscles on both sides of her face. Vital signs are stable with blood pressure at 126/84, pulse at 82, and temperature 98.3°F. However, her respirations are 10 (normal is 18-20). The physician on-call performs a neurological test that shows deficits on both sides of the body. The doctor orders blood work and asks the daughter what Mrs. Smith had eaten in the last few days. The daughter advises the doctor that Mrs. Smith cans her own vegetables and had eaten from one of the jars. Mrs. Smith begins to have weakness in her arms and legs. Paralysis starts developing in her upper extremities, and soon after she stops breathing. She is placed on a ventilator. Microscopic examination reveals Gram (+) rods. The blood work comes back positive for botulism toxin. Bacterial contamination can occur during food preparation if aseptic technique is not properly used. Suppose 10,000 bacteria cells were introduced into a pasta salad during preparation. The salad then sat at room temperature for four hours. Using the growth rate equation and a generation time of 30 minutes, how many bacteria would be present in the salad at the end of the four hours?
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