Final answer:
A patient with symptoms of fever, malaise, cough, and night sweats in California or Arizona might have tuberculosis or another respiratory illness. Diagnosis should involve chest radiography and collection of samples for testing. If tuberculosis is confirmed, a 6-month antibiotic course is typically recommended.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient from California or Arizona presenting with fever, malaise, cough, and night sweats could be diagnosed with several respiratory illnesses. In the given clinical scenarios, similar symptoms were noted, and diseases such as influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia, or tuberculosis were considered. Specifically, tuberculosis is a chronic disease that often presents with acute febrile illness, including high fever and recurring flu-like symptoms, and could be a possible diagnosis for someone with a travel history to regions where tuberculosis is prevalent.
The recommended tests to help in the diagnosis would likely include chest radiography and the collection of blood, urine, and sputum samples. These tests would assist in identifying any abnormalities in the lungs and detect the presence of pathogens. The type of treatment would depend on the final diagnosis. If tuberculosis is confirmed, standard treatment includes a 6-month course of antibiotics, often starting with an initial phase of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, followed by a continuation phase with isoniazid and rifampin.