A 45-year-old female presents to the emergency department. She reports the onset of a sore throat, cough and rhinorrhea about five days ago. She is now experiencing weakness in her arms and difficulty breathing. She is evaluated in the emergency room and admitted to the intensive care unit. In the provider's initial assessment, the patient is noted to have gross inflammation of her pharynx and tonsils, with grayish-white patches in the pharynx. A throat swab and additional specimens are sent for microbial analysis. The patient is placed in isolation.
-Examination of the throat swab specimen reveals distinct gram-positive club-shaped bacilli. The laboratory technician immediately contacts the medical team and begins the process of submitting specimens for PCR testing to the CDC.The suspected pathogen is ________.

Question

A 45-year-old female presents to the emergency department. She reports the onset of a sore throat, cough and rhinorrhea about five days ago. She is now experiencing weakness in her arms and difficulty breathing. She is evaluated in the emergency room and admitted to the intensive care unit. In the provider's initial assessment, the patient is noted to have gross inflammation of her pharynx and tonsils, with grayish-white patches in the pharynx. A throat swab and additional specimens are sent for microbial analysis. The patient is placed in isolation.
-Examination of the throat swab specimen reveals distinct gram-positive club-shaped bacilli. The laboratory technician immediately contacts the medical team and begins the process of submitting specimens for PCR testing to the CDC.The suspected pathogen is ________.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presentation of sore throat, cough, and rhinorrhea with subsequent development of weakness and difficulty breathing, along with the presence of grayish-white patches in the pharynx, is highly suggestive of diphtheria. The identification of gram-positive club-shaped bacilli in the throat swab sample confirms the diagnosis. Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae and requires immediate isolation and treatment. In addition, contacting the CDC for PCR testing is necessary for further confirmation and to prevent the spread of the disease. Influenza A is a common respiratory virus that typically does not present with a sore throat or pharyngeal inflammation with white patches. Pneumocystis jirovecii is an opportunistic fungal infection that is typically seen in immunocompromised patients and presents with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Bacillus anthracis is a bacterial infection that can result in severe disease, but it typically presents with symptoms of skin lesions and respiratory distress, which are not in line with the presentation of this patient.

A 45-Year-Old Female Presents to the Emergency Department