A patient suffers from severe postoperative pseudomonadous infection. What of the following antibiotics should be administered in this case?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Amikacin sulfate. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is commonly resistant to many antibiotics, but aminoglycosides like Amikacin have good activity against it. Step 1: Identify the pathogen causing the infection. Step 2: Consider the antibiotic's spectrum of activity against the pathogen. Step 3: Choose an antibiotic with proven efficacy. Amikacin is a good choice due to its effectiveness against Pseudomonas. Choice B, Benzylpenicillin, is a penicillin which is not effective against Pseudomonas. Choice C, Cephazolin, is a cephalosporin with limited activity against Pseudomonas. Choice D, Erythromycin, is a macrolide which is not effective against Pseudomonas.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The growth of bacteria is a result of water adsorption because water is essential for various metabolic processes within the bacterial cells, such as nutrient uptake, energy production, and waste removal. Water serves as a medium for chemical reactions to occur and provides structural support to the bacteria. Without sufficient water, bacteria cannot thrive and reproduce. A: Air consumption is incorrect because while bacteria may require oxygen for respiration, it is not the primary factor for their growth. C: Enzyme production is incorrect because enzymes are important for various cellular functions but do not directly influence bacterial growth. D: Radio isotopes are incorrect as they are not essential for bacterial growth and can even be harmful to bacterial cells.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C because infectious (non-sterile) immunity is achieved through the persistence of the infectious agent in the body, allowing the immune system to continuously recognize and combat the pathogen. This type of immunity provides long-lasting protection against future infections by the same agent. Choice A (cross-reactivity of antibodies) is incorrect as it refers to the ability of antibodies to recognize similar antigens, not necessarily related to infectious immunity. Choice B (toxemia and formation of antitoxic antibodies) is incorrect as it specifically relates to toxins produced by pathogens and the corresponding antibody response, not the persistence of the infectious agent itself. Choice D (neutralization of infectious agent) is incorrect as it describes the process of antibodies binding to and inactivating pathogens, but it does not necessarily lead to long-term immunity through the persistence of the infectious agent.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D (All of the above) because all three bacteria listed produce exotoxins that cause severe gastrointestinal illness. Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum toxin causing botulism. Vibrio cholerae produces cholera toxin leading to cholera. Escherichia coli can produce various exotoxins causing different types of severe gastrointestinal illnesses like E. coli O157:H7 causing bloody diarrhea. Therefore, all choices A, B, and C are correct in this case as they all produce exotoxins causing severe gastrointestinal illness.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Increased active efflux from the bacterial cell. This is the most important mechanism of tetracycline resistance because it involves the bacteria actively pumping out the antibiotic, reducing its intracellular concentration. This prevents tetracycline from effectively targeting bacterial ribosomes. Choice A is incorrect as tetracycline resistance typically involves active efflux rather than reduced influx. Choice B is incorrect because tetracycline resistance mechanisms do not primarily involve altered cell membrane components affecting passive influx. Choice D is also incorrect as tetracycline resistance mechanisms do not typically involve direct enzymatic inactivation of the antibiotic.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: prions. Prions are misfolded proteins that can cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prions are not viruses like flavoviruses (A) or orthomyxoviruses (D). Virusoids (B) are small, circular, single-stranded RNA molecules that require a helper virus to replicate and are not associated with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Therefore, the correct answer is C as prions are the only choice that correctly links to the etiology of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Neisseria meningitidis. Step 1: Gram-negative diplococci - characteristic of Neisseria species. Step 2: Oxidase-positive - Neisseria species are oxidase-positive. Step 3: Fermentative - Neisseria meningitidis is a fermentative bacterium. Therefore, Neisseria meningitidis is the most likely causative agent. Summary: - B: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is also a Neisseria species but is not fermentative. - C: Moraxella catarrhalis is oxidase-positive but not fermentative. - D: Haemophilus influenzae is not a Neisseria species and is not typically fermentative.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Adhesion to surfaces. Bacterial fimbriae are hair-like appendages that help bacteria attach to surfaces, such as host cells or medical devices. This adhesion is crucial for colonization and infection. DNA replication (B) occurs in the cell's nucleus, not on the surface. Protein synthesis (C) happens inside the cell, not on the fimbriae. Flagella movement (D) is the function of flagella, not fimbriae.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium is commonly found in hospital environments due to its ability to colonize human skin and mucous membranes. It is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. Borrelia burgdorferi is mainly associated with Lyme disease transmitted by ticks, not commonly found in hospitals. Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen, not typically prevalent in hospital settings. Staphylococcus haemolyticus is a coagulase-negative staphylococcus species, less pathogenic and less common in hospitals compared to Staphylococcus aureus.