A 23-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department 30 minutes after stepping on a piece of broken glass. Physical examination shows a 3-cm, ragged laceration on the plantar aspect of the left foot. The physician uses hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. Which of the following is the most likely mechanism of action of this disinfectant?
AFormation of free radicals
BIntercalation of DNA
CCrosslinking of proteins
DHalogenation of nucleic acids
ECongealing of cytoplasm
A 37-year-old woman with a history of anorectal abscesses complains of pain in the perianal region. Physical examination reveals mild swelling, tenderness, and erythema of the perianal skin. She is prescribed oral ampicillin and asked to return for follow-up. Two days later, the patient presents with a high-grade fever, syncope, and increased swelling. Which of the following would be the most common mechanism of resistance leading to the failure of antibiotic therapy in this patient?
AIntrinsic absence of a target site for the drug
BUse of an altered metabolic pathway
CProduction of beta-lactamase enzyme
DAltered structural target for the drug
EDrug efflux pump
A 65-year-old man presents to the emergency department with a complaint of intense pain in his right foot for the past month, along with fever and chills. He denies any traumatic injury to his foot in recent memory. He has a medical history of poorly-controlled type II diabetes and is a former smoker with extensive peripheral vascular disease. On physical exam, the area of his right foot around the hallux is swollen, erythematous, tender to light palpation, and reveals exposed bone. Labs are notable for elevated C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The physician obtains a biopsy for culture. What is the most likely causative organism for this patient’s condition?
APasteurella multocida
BMycobacterium tuberculosis
CStaphylococcus aureus
DPseudomonas aeruginosa
ENeisseria gonorrhoeae
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