This 53-years-old man with a past medical history of non-insulin dependent diabe

Question

This 53-years-old man with a past medical history of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and hypertension was in his usual state of health until 4 days prior to admission, when he developed fatigue, fever, chills and a cough occasionally productive of green sputum. Over the two days prior to admission, he had drenching sweats, increasing dyspnea, and left-sided pleuritic chest pain. The patient had smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 40 years. His physical examination was notable for an increased respiratory rate of 22 per minute, and crackles were heard over the right middle, left middle, and lower lung fields. A chest radiograph demonstrated right lower lobe, left lingular, and left lower lobe infiltrations. The blood sample cultured on blood agar is on your bench

Explanation / Answer

Blood culture test is performed to figure out an infection that is present in bloodstream and affects entire body. Since here patient has fever, chills and green sputum, the patient may have an infection. Fever, chills with fatigueness and particularly green sputum (due to neutrophils against an infection) indicates an infection. Thus, here blood culture isolate is used to figure out the infection.

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