Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections

Dr Patsy Lill
Professor Emerita
University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Rusty sputum

A 61-year-old previously healthy woman presented with fever, cough productive of “rusty” sputum, myalgias, and malaise. BP was 134/81 and her temperature was 40.1. She was dyspneic and rales were heard over the right lower lobe. Below are images from a similar patient.

The organism MOST likely to have caused her disease is:

1. Staphylococcus aureus
2. Beta hemolytic Streptococcus
3. Streptococcus pneumoniae
4. Pneumocystis jirovecii
5. Mycobacterium tuberculosis

ANSWER

Return to the Microbiology On-line Textbook front page

Return to Lower Respiratory Tract Infections page

Pathology questions by Dr Patsy Lill