A 4-year-old boy is brought to the physician because of increased irritability, continual crying, and fever for 1 day. His mother has noticed that he refuses to lie down on his right side and keeps tugging at his right ear. One week ago, he had a runny nose that has since improved. He was born at term and has been otherwise healthy. He has been attending a daycare center for the past 5 months. His temperature is 38.4°C (101.1°F) and pulse is 144/min. Otoscopic examination of the right ear reveals a normal-appearing external canal and an erythematous tympanic membrane with purulent fluid pooling within the distal external canal. Which of the following organisms is the most likely cause of this patient's diagnosis?

Question

A 4-year-old boy is brought to the physician because of increased irritability, continual crying, and fever for 1 day. His mother has noticed that he refuses to lie down on his right side and keeps tugging at his right ear. One week ago, he had a runny nose that has since improved. He was born at term and has been otherwise healthy. He has been attending a daycare center for the past 5 months. His temperature is 38.4°C (101.1°F) and pulse is 144/min. Otoscopic examination of the right ear reveals a normal-appearing external canal and an erythematous tympanic membrane with purulent fluid pooling within the distal external canal.  Which of the following organisms is the most likely cause of this patient's diagnosis?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Acute otitis media usually occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection causes obstruction of the eustachian tube.  This obstruction leads to the accumulation of secretions, which encourages bacterial growth.  The most common bacterial causes are respiratory colonizers, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.

A 4-Year-Old Boy Is Brought to the Physician Because of Increased