A physician inquires about repeated sputum specimens that are reported to contain only normal oropharyngeal flora. The patient is a 67 yr old man who smokes and has a persistent cough, malaise, and a fever of 102°C. Treatment with routine antimicrobials has not been effective. The most recent direct Gram’s stain of sputum shows 3+ PMNs and rare epithelial cells. A likely etiologic agent is (M35-1, 2, 3; Level 3):
Read DetailsThe nurse is caring for a client with obesity and arthritis who was admitted to the hospital for treatment of pneumonia. The client has intertrigo under bilateral breasts and abdominal folds. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to improve this condition?
Read DetailsA medium sized, beta hemolytic, GPC was isolated from a wound. Tests indicate it was catalase positive, slide coagulase negative, tube coagulase positive, and grew up to the edge of the cefoxitin disk. What should be reported to the physician (M13-2, 3, 4; Level 3)?
Read DetailsAn elderly patient with pneumonia on a ventilator produces a gelatinous dark red sputum sample from which an encapsulated gram-negative rod is isolated. The organism is non-motile, VP positive, and produces an A/A reaction on TSI with gas. This organism is most likely:
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