An 81-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by staff of an assisted living facility where she resides with fever and a cough. Her temperature is 39.1°C (102.3°F). Physical examination shows diffuse crackles over the right lung fields. The patient has a history of recurrent hospitalizations with multiple antibiotic courses for urinary tract infection, infected decubitus ulcer, and pneumonia. Blood and sputum cultures are obtained, and the patient is started on intravenous fluids and empiric ceftriaxone. Her blood culture shows extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli. Which of the following features is most likely to be found in this organism?

Question

An 81-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by staff of an assisted living facility where she resides with fever and a cough. Her temperature is 39.1°C (102.3°F). Physical examination shows diffuse crackles over the right lung fields. The patient has a history of recurrent hospitalizations with multiple antibiotic courses for urinary tract infection, infected decubitus ulcer, and pneumonia. Blood and sputum cultures are obtained, and the patient is started on intravenous fluids and empiric ceftriaxone.  Her blood culture shows extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli.  Which of the following features is most likely to be found in this organism?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases can be produced by gram-negative bacteria, rendering cephalosporins and other beta-lactam antibiotics inactive.  These genes can be transmitted between organisms through plasmid conjugation.

An 81-Year-Old Woman Is Brought to the Emergency Department by Staff