1. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or fungi. What initial laboratory analysis would help to determine whether an infection is present? 2. Based on what you know about the cells of the immune system, do you suspect this patient to have an infection, and if so, what is a probable cause? 3. Would you require the sample to be tested in microbiology for blood cultures? Explain your answer.
Case scenario
A 90-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s lives in a nursing facility. A nurse notices that she has been coughing frequently and seems warm to the touch. She performs an evaluation on the woman and confirms a fever with a dry cough. She also notices that her throat seems inflamed and irritated. The woman is unable to answer questions about how she has been feeling lately to provide a history for the nurse. The nurse ensures that the woman is comfortable and returns to the nursing station to review that patient’s chart. The nurse finds that within the year that the patient has been in the nursing facility, she has had two respiratory infections diagnosed as pneumonia. The nurse calls the physician, worried that the patient may be developing pneumonia again.
Review the CBC results for this patient.
1. Pneumonia is an infection of the lung that can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or
2. Based on what you know about the cells of the immune system, do you suspect this patient to have an infection, and if so, what is a probable cause?
3. Would you require the sample to be tested in
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