Final answer:
The potential causes of Staph bacteremia and bilateral cavitating pulmonary lesions include septic emboli, aspiration, and poor dentition. These can trigger systemic infections, especially involving pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, leading to serious complications such as lung lesions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The possible cause of Staph bacteremia and bilateral cavitating pulmonary lesions can include septic emboli, aspiration, and poor dentition. These factors individually, or in combination, can lead to the introduction of bacteria into the bloodstream, resulting in infections that may spread to the lungs, causing the characteristic lesions. In particular, Staphylococcus aureus, with its capacity to form biofilms on medical devices like catheters, and its resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in cases like MRSA, can shed bacteria into the bloodstream and initiate such systemic infections. Breaches in oral mucosa due to poor dental care can serve as a portal of entry for these bacteria. Aspiration of oral or gastric contents can lead to direct infection of the lungs. Finally, septic emboli can occur if fragments of an infected biofilm or clot dislodge and are carried in the bloodstream to the lungs where they cause cavitating lesions.