Final answer:
The most likely diagnosis for a college student with a nonproductive cough, sore throat, and diffuse infiltrates on a chest X-ray is pneumonia. Pneumonia involves alveolar inflammation and fluid accumulation disrupting gas exchange, distinguished from other similar conditions by chest radiograph findings. The correct option is (2).
Step-by-step explanation:
Most Likely Diagnosis: Pneumonia:
A college student presenting with a nonproductive cough, sore throat, and diffuse infiltrates on a chest X-ray is most likely to be diagnosed with pneumonia. Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the respiratory tract where the alveoli in the lungs become filled with fluid, hindering gas exchange. The nonproductive cough and diffuse infiltrates visible on the chest X-ray suggest an infection that has affected the alveoli.
While other conditions such as acute bronchitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis can also present with cough, the characteristic diffuse infiltrates distinguish pneumonia. Acute bronchitis usually presents with a cough that produces phlegm, or mucus, and might not necessarily show diffuse infiltrates on a chest X-ray. Asthma is characterized by episodic inflammation and narrowing of the airways, often indicated by wheezing and difficulty breathing rather than diffuse infiltrates. Lastly, allergic rhinitis generally causes nasal symptoms like sneezing and a runny nose, not the lung infiltrates seen in pneumonia.
The student's presentation matches well with pneumonia, especially considering the chest radiograph outcome. Treatment typically involves prescription antibiotics, but the precise management should be tailored to the underlying cause, which could be bacterial, viral, or less commonly, fungal or parasitic.