A 23-year-old patient presents to the emergency department with high fever, chills, extreme fatigue, and arthralgias. Your physical examination reveals grade II heart murmur heard loudest over the fourth intercostal space left sternal border. The arms of the patient reveal past IV drug abuse. The clinician should recognize these are signs and symptoms of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The combination of fever, chills, fatigue, arthralgias, a heart murmur, and a history of IV drug abuse strongly suggests bacterial endocarditis, a condition where the inner lining of the heart valves becomes infected.

A 23-Year-Old Patient Presents to the Emergency Department with High