Recognition and management of SSIs — MCQs

A 23-year-old man comes to the emergency department with an open wound on his right hand. He states that he got into a bar fight about an hour ago. He appears heavily intoxicated and does not remember the whole situation, but he does recall lying on the ground in front of the bar after the fight. He does not recall any history of injuries but does remember a tetanus shot he received 6 years ago. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 77/min, and blood pressure is 132/78 mm Hg. Examination shows a soft, nontender abdomen. His joints have no bony deformities and display full range of motion. There is a 4-cm (1.6-in) lesion on his hand with the skin attached only on the ulnar side. The wound, which appears to be partly covered with soil and dirt, is irrigated and debrided by the hospital staff. Minimal erythema and no purulence is observed in the area surrounding the wound. What is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 56-year-old previously healthy woman with no other past medical history is post-operative day one from an open reduction and internal fixation of a fractured right radius and ulna after a motor vehicle accident. What is one of the primary ways of preventing postoperative pneumonia in this patient?

Three days after undergoing coronary bypass surgery, a 67-year-old man becomes unresponsive and hypotensive. He is intubated, mechanically ventilated, and a central line is inserted. Vasopressin and noradrenaline infusions are begun. A Foley catheter is placed. Six days later, he has high unrelenting fevers. He is currently receiving noradrenaline via an infusion pump. His temperature is 39.6°C (102.3°F), pulse is 113/min, and blood pressure is 90/50 mm Hg. Examination shows a sternal wound with surrounding erythema; there is no discharge from the wound. Crackles are heard at both lung bases. Cardiac examination shows an S3 gallop. Abdominal examination shows no abnormalities. A Foley catheter is present. His hemoglobin concentration is 10.8 g/dL, leukocyte count is 21,700/mm3, and platelet count is 165,000/mm3. Samples for blood culture are drawn simultaneously from the central line and peripheral IV line. Blood cultures from the central line show coagulase-negative cocci in clusters on the 8th postoperative day, and those from the peripheral venous line show coagulase-negative cocci in clusters on the 10th postoperative day. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 38-year-old female presents to the emergency room with fevers, fatigue, and anorexia for over a month. Past medical history includes mild mitral valve prolapse. She underwent an uncomplicated tooth extraction approximately 6 weeks ago. Her vital signs include a temperature of 100.8 F, pulse of 83, blood pressure of 110/77, and SpO2 of 97% on room air. On exam, you note a grade III/VI holosystolic murmur at the apex radiating to the axilla as well as several red, painful nodules on her fingers. Which of the following is the next best course of action?

A 63-year-old female recovering from a total shoulder arthroplasty completed 6 days ago presents complaining of joint pain in her repaired shoulder. Temperature is 39 degrees Celsius. Physical examination demonstrates erythema and significant tenderness around the incision site. Wound cultures reveal Gram-positive cocci that are resistant to nafcillin. Which of the following organisms is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

A 32-year-old woman is supposed to undergo tooth extraction surgery. Physical examination is unremarkable, and she has a blood pressure of 126/84 mm Hg and regular pulse of 72/min. She takes no medications. Which of the following cardiac conditions would warrant antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent infective endocarditis in this patient?

Three days after being admitted to the hospital because of a fall from the roof of a two-story building, a 27-year-old man is being monitored in the intensive care unit. On arrival, the patient was somnolent and not oriented to person, place, or time. A CT scan of the head showed an epidural hemorrhage that was 45 cm3 in size and a midline shift of 7 mm. Emergency surgery was performed with craniotomy and hematoma evacuation on the day of admission. Perioperatively, a bleeding vessel was identified and ligated. Postoperatively, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 67/min, and blood pressure is 117/78 mm Hg. The ventilator is set at a FiO2 of 55%, tidal volume of 520 mL, and positive end-expiratory pressure of 5.0 cm H2O. In addition to intravenous administration of fluids, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in managing this patient's nutrition?

A 65-year-old woman comes to the physician because of progressive weight loss for 3 months. Physical examination shows jaundice and a nontender, palpable gallbladder. A CT scan of the abdomen shows an ill-defined mass in the pancreatic head. She is scheduled for surgery to resect the pancreatic head, distal stomach, duodenum, early jejunum, gallbladder, and common bile duct and anastomose the jejunum to the remaining stomach, pancreas, and bile duct. Following surgery, this patient is at the greatest risk for which of the following?

Twelve days after undergoing total pancreatectomy for chronic pancreatitis, a 62-year-old woman notices oozing from her abdominal wound. She first noticed fluid draining 8 hours ago. Her postoperative course has been complicated by persistent hypotension requiring intravenous fluids and decreased ability to tolerate food. She has type 1 diabetes mellitus and glaucoma. The patient smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 30 years, but quit 2 years ago. She drank a pint of vodka every day starting at age 20 and quit when she was 35 years old. Her current medications include subcutaneous insulin and timolol eye drops. She appears comfortable. Her temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 95/min, and blood pressure is 104/78 mm Hg. The abdomen is soft and mildly tender to palpation. There is a 12-cm vertical wound beginning in the epigastrium and extending caudally. 25 mL of a viscous, dark green substance is draining from the middle of the wound. There is a small amount of dried fluid on the patient's hospital gown. The wound edges are nonerythematous. There is no pus draining from the wound. Laboratory studies show: Hematocrit 38% Leukocyte count 8,000/mm3 Serum Na+ 135 mEq/L Cl- 100 mEq/L K+ 3.4 mEq/L HCO3- 23 mEq/L Urea nitrogen 13 mg/dL Creatinine 1.1 mg/dL Glucose 190 mg/dL Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Three hours after undergoing open proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis, a 42-year-old male complains of abdominal pain. The pain is localized to the periumbilical and hypogastric regions. A total of 20 mL of urine has drained from his urinary catheter since the end of the procedure. Temperature is 37.2°C (98.9°F), pulse is 92/min, respirations are 12/min, and blood pressure is 110/72 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 99%. Physical examination shows a 20 cm vertical midline incision and an ileostomy in the right lower quadrant. There is no fluid drainage from the surgical wounds. The urinary catheter flushes easily and is without obstruction. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Serum studies show a blood urea nitrogen of 30 mg/dL and a creatinine of 1.3 mg/dL. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?