Case Study 1:  This 68-year-old North Carolina man with diab…

Case Study 1:  This 68-year-old North Carolina man with diabetes mellitus was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of a persistent right lower lobe infiltrate.  Three weeks prior to admission, he presented to an outside physician for evaluation of fever, chills, weight loss, and anorexia.  A chest radiograph demonstrated a right lower lobe infiltrate.  He was treated with oral amoxicillin, but his condition worsened.  His PPD test was negative and three sputum specimens were negative for acid-fast bacilli on smear.  Sputum specimens were sent for fungal culture.  The patient works in a cotton mill in the so-called “opening room”, where he opens bundles of cotton received from the southwestern United States.  Cultures of sputum and blood grew a mold which on microscopic examination had numerous rectangular alternating light and dark structures. Case Study 1.2:  How could this man’s illness have been prevented?

A 17-year-old patient went to the dentist 2 weeks ago and ha…

A 17-year-old patient went to the dentist 2 weeks ago and had all 4 wisdom teeth extracted. She felt worse than you do taking this test. Now she presents with continuing jaw pain and a low-grade fever (temperature of 100 degrees). Her mother tells her that her breath smells really bad now. A list of organisms that would most likely cause this scenario would be: