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USMLE · Question #604

A 27-year-old male comes to the physician with skin lesions as shown in the exhibit. Physical examination reveals soft tissue crepitus and the smell of decomposing tissue. The most likely cause of…

The correct answer is A. ingestion. This patient's clinical findings are consistent with gas gangrene and myonecrosis caused by an infection with the gram-positive bacteria Clostridium perfringens. The myonecrosis which causes gas gangrene heard as crepitus in the soft tissues is caused by the bacterium's alpha…

Abnormal Processes

Question

A 27-year-old male comes to the physician with skin lesions as shown in the exhibit. Physical examination reveals soft tissue crepitus and the smell of decomposing tissue. The most likely cause of these findings can also cause infection through

Options

  • Aingestion
  • Bfecal-oral transmission
  • Crespiratory droplet inhalation
  • Dsexual transmission
  • Eskin to skin transmission

How the community answered

(26 responses)
  • A
    85% (22)
  • C
    8% (2)
  • D
    4% (1)
  • E
    4% (1)

Explanation

This patient's clinical findings are consistent with gas gangrene and myonecrosis caused by an infection with the gram-positive bacteria Clostridium perfringens. The myonecrosis which causes gas gangrene heard as crepitus in the soft tissues is caused by the bacterium's alpha toxin which functions as a phospholipase. The route of infection resulting in myonecrosis is infection of an open skin wound by the soil- borne anaerobic bacteria. The spores of C. perfringens can also survive in undercooked food and when ingested, cause food poisoning. To answer this question correctly, you first have to make the diagnosis, know the cause of the diagnosis, the other type of illness it causes and its route of

Topics

#gas gangrene#Clostridium perfringens#necrotizing infection#foodborne illness

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