Pneumonia USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 28-year-old previously healthy woman presents to the emergency department with a 5-day history of fever (39.2°C), nonproductive cough, headache, myalgias, and malaise. She works part-time at a pet store and recalls handling parrots and budgies 1 week prior to symptom onset. Vital signs: HR 102 bpm, BP 118/76 mmHg, RR 22/min, SpO2 98% on room air. Physical examination reveals mild hypoxia on exertion. Chest X-ray shows bilateral interstitial infiltrates with a basilar predominance. Laboratory results: WBC 8,200/μL (normal differential), hyponatremia (Na+ 125 mEq/L), ALT 78 U/L, AST 92 U/L, procalcitonin 0.8 ng/mL (normal <0.5), normal urinalysis. She denies recent travel outside the city, recent antibiotic use, and has no sick contacts. Which of the following organisms is most likely responsible for this patient's pneumonia?
Answer choices
- ALegionella pneumophila
- BStreptococcus pneumoniae
- CChlamydia psittaciCorrect answer
- DMycoplasma pneumoniae
- ECoxiella burnetii
- FHistoplasma capsulatum
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