Question

An 80 year old female is admitted with fever, lethargy, hypotension, tachycardia, oliguria, and elevated WBC. The patient has more than 100,000 organisms of Escherichia coli per cc of urine. What is the most likely diagnosis?

1) Urinary tract infection
2) Pneumonia
3) Gastroenteritis
4) Meningitis

Answer 1

The most likely diagnosis is a urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by Escherichia coli.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely diagnosis for the symptoms described, including fever, lethargy, hypotension, tachycardia, oliguria, and elevated white blood cell count along with a high number of Escherichia coli organisms in the urine, is urinary tract infection (UTI).

UTIs can be caused by various bacteria, and in this case, the presence of E. coli indicates a bacterial infection originating from the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Treatment typically involves antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin, to eliminate the infection.