Question

A 47-year-old woman comes to the physician because of fever and shortness of breath for 2 days. She has systemic lupus erythematosus with associated vasculitis and has been receiving high-dose prednisone (25mg ) therapy for 6 months. Her dosage has been tapered over the past 6 weeks. She is in moderate respiratory distress. Her temperature

F), pulse is 95/min, respirations are 26/min, and blood pressure is 105/70 mmHg. Laboratory studies show: Arterial blood gas analysis on room air: An x-ray of the chest shows increased interstitial markings bilaterally. Which of the following is the most likely causal organism?
A) Haemophilus influenzae eplglotitis
B) Herpes virus
C) Influenza virus
D) Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly P. carinii)
E) Streptococcus pyogenes, (group A) phoinngitis Common metastasis from lung is liver

Answer 1

The most likely causal organism is Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly P. carinii).

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely causal organism in this case is Pneumocystis jiroveci (formerly P. carinii). The patient is a 47-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and associated vasculitis. She has been receiving high-dose prednisone therapy, which can suppress the immune system and increase the risk of opportunistic infections. The symptoms of fever, shortness of breath, and bilateral increased interstitial markings on chest x-ray are consistent with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, a common infection in immunocompromised individuals.