Your patient has been on antibiotics for 6 weeks after a case of streptococcal endocarditis, an infection of the inner heart wall. The infection clears up. However, the patient just visited you about a urinary tract infection, and the lab verified that the culprit was E. coli. What do you hypothesize happened in this situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The prolonged antibiotic treatment likely disrupted the normal microbiota in the patient's genitourinary tract, allowing E. coli to establish an infection. E. coli is a common inhabitant of the human gut and can cause UTIs when it colonizes the urethra and bladder. As it was not the causative agent of the streptococcal endocarditis, options A and B can be ruled out. There is no evidence to suggest that the antibiotics damaged the patient's immune system, so option D is also incorrect.

Your Patient Has Been on Antibiotics for 6 Weeks After