02-25-2012, 06:56 AM
For each patient with cough, select the most
appropriate next step in
diagnosis.
A 32-year-old woman comes to the physician because of
a 4-month history
of fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath with
exertion. She has had
two episodes of pneumonia and one episode of severe
sinusitis over the
past 2 years. She has never smoked. She takes no
medications.
Crackles are heard at the left lung base. An x-ray
film of the chest shows a
left lower lobe infiltrate and scarring of the right
base.
A
) Measurement of serum a1-antitrypsin level
B
) Methacholine challenge test
C
) Quantitative measurement of serum antibody levels
D
) Sweat chloride test
E
) Ventilation-perfusion lung scans
appropriate next step in
diagnosis.
A 32-year-old woman comes to the physician because of
a 4-month history
of fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath with
exertion. She has had
two episodes of pneumonia and one episode of severe
sinusitis over the
past 2 years. She has never smoked. She takes no
medications.
Crackles are heard at the left lung base. An x-ray
film of the chest shows a
left lower lobe infiltrate and scarring of the right
base.
A
) Measurement of serum a1-antitrypsin level
B
) Methacholine challenge test
C
) Quantitative measurement of serum antibody levels
D
) Sweat chloride test
E
) Ventilation-perfusion lung scans