Match each patient's clinical presentation with the most likely causative pneumonia pathogen.
- An elderly resident of an assisted living facility develops sudden high fever, rigors, and a productive cough with rust-colored sputum. Chest radiograph confirms a right lower lobe consolidation.Streptococcus pneumoniae
- A business traveler experiences a nonproductive cough, high fever, and confusion along with three days of watery diarrhea shortly after attending a convention. Laboratory evaluation reveals hyponatremia.Legionella pneumophila
- A young adult living in a university dormitory complains of a lingering, dry, hacking cough and malaise over the past two weeks. The physical examination is largely unremarkable despite bilateral interstitial infiltrates on imaging.Mycoplasma pneumoniae
- A middle-aged individual with a known history of severe alcohol use disorder is brought to the emergency department for fever and coughing up thick, blood-tinged, mucoid sputum.Klebsiella pneumoniae
Answer
The sudden lobar pneumonia with rust-colored sputum matches Streptococcus pneumoniae. The pneumonia with diarrhea, confusion, and hyponatremia matches Legionella pneumophila. The indolent dry cough in a dormitory resident matches Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The pneumonia with currant jelly sputum in a patient with alcohol use disorder matches Klebsiella pneumoniae.
Each specific pneumonia pathogen has a distinct epidemiological profile and clinical presentation that sets it apart. Recognizing classic buzzwords such as 'rust-colored sputum', 'currant jelly sputum', or the association of pneumonia with 'diarrhea and hyponatremia' allows for rapid identification of the most likely organism.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Classic clinical and epidemiological associations in community-acquired pneumonia.