Infectious Disease — MCQs

A 7-year-old boy is brought to the physician for the evaluation of sore throat for the past 2 days. During this period, he has had intermittent nausea and has vomited once. The patient has no cough, hoarseness, or rhinorrhea. He had similar symptoms at the age of 5 years that resolved spontaneously. He is otherwise healthy. His temperature is 37.9°C (100.2°F), pulse is 85/min, and blood pressure is 108/70 mm Hg. Head and neck examination shows an erythematous pharynx with grayish exudates overlying the palatine tonsils. There is no lymphadenopathy. Rapid antigen detection test for group A streptococci is negative. Which of the following is most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A previously healthy 2-year-old girl is brought to the physician by her mother after she noticed multiple painless, nonpruritic papules on her abdomen. The child attends daycare three times per week, and this past week one child was reported to have similar lesions. Her immunizations are up-to-date. Her brother had chickenpox one month ago. She is at the 50th percentile for height and the 60th percentile for weight. Vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows several skin-colored, nontender, pearly papules with central umbilication on the abdomen and extremities. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 9-month-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 was exclusively breastfed until 2 months of age and is currently bottle-fed with some solid foods introduced. 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 in this child is most likely to show which of the following?

A 5-year-old boy is brought to his pediatrician's office by his parents for a scheduled visit. His father tells the physician that he has observed, on several occasions, that his son has difficulty breathing. This is more prominent when he is outside playing with his friends. These symptoms are increased during the spring and winter seasons, and, of late, the boy has one such episode almost every week. During these episodes, he usually wheezes, coughs, and seems to be winded as if something was restricting his ability to breathe. These symptoms have not affected his sleep at night. This breathlessness does not limit his daily activities, and whenever he does have an episode it subsides after he gets some rest. He does not have any other pertinent medical history and is not on any medication. His physical examination does not reveal any significant findings. The pediatrician checks his expiratory flow rate in the office and estimates it to be around 85% after conducting it three times. Which of the following drugs is the pediatrician most likely to start this patient on?

A 4-year-old boy presents with a dry cough. The patient’s mother states that the cough started a week ago and has not improved. She says the patient will have fits of forceful coughing that will last for minutes, followed by gasping as he catches his breath. Occasionally, the patient will vomit after one of these episodes. Past medical history is significant for a recent upper respiratory infection 4 weeks ago that has resolved. No current medications. Patient immunization status is incomplete because his mother believes they are harmful. Vitals are temperature 37.0°C (98.6°F), blood pressure 105/65 mm Hg, pulse 101/min, respiratory rate 27/min, and oxygen saturation 99% on room air. Cardiac exam is normal. Lungs are clear to auscultation. There are conjunctival hemorrhages present bilaterally. Which of the following correctly describes the stage of this patient’s most likely diagnosis?

A 24-year-old newly immigrated mother arrives to the clinic to discuss breastfeeding options for her newborn child. Her medical history is unclear as she has recently arrived from Sub-Saharan Africa. You tell her that unfortunately she will not be able to breastfeed until further testing is performed. Which of the following infections is an absolute contraindication to breastfeeding?

A 7-year-old boy presents to your office with facial eczema. He has a history of recurrent infections, including multiple episodes of pneumonia that lasted several weeks and otitis media. Laboratory measurements of serum immunoglobulins show increased IgE and IgA but decreased IgM. Which of the following additional abnormalities would you expect to observe in this patient?

A 7-year-old girl is brought to the physician by her father because of a dry cough, nasal congestion, and intermittent wheezing during the past 2 months. Since birth, she has had four upper respiratory tract infections that resolved without treatment and one episode of acute otitis media treated with antibiotics. She has a history of eczema. Her temperature is 37.1°C (98.7°F), and respirations are 28/min. Physical examination shows a shallow breathing pattern and scattered expiratory wheezing throughout both lung fields. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in diagnosing this patient’s condition?

A 6-month-old infant is brought to the physician’s office by his parents due to a fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The cough is dry and has been progressively worsening for the past 48 hours along with the shortness of breath. His fever never exceeded 37.8°C (100.0°F) at home. The parents say that he has also had abundant nasal drainage and loss of appetite. He is irritable and vomited twice during this period. He has no relevant medical or family history. His vitals are the following: Pulse rate 165/min Respiratory rate 77/min Temperature 38.0°C (100.4°F) On physical examination, there is nasal congestion with thick secretions, accompanied by nasal flaring. On chest examination, intercostal retractions are seen and diffuse wheezing on both sides are heard on auscultation. What is the most likely cause?

A 7-year-old boy presents to the emergency department with several days of high fever accompanied by runny nose, cough, and red itchy eyes. Upon further history, you learn that the family is undocumented and has not had access to primary health services. Upon physical examination you see a red, slightly bumpy rash extending from the head to the mid-chest level. If you had examined this child prior to the development of the rash, which of the following signs may you have observed?