An 80-year-old woman that you follow in a nursing home has an acute decline in her mental status. She has a fever >100°F, but no other focal complaints or findings on physical examination except for a chronic indwelling urinary catheter. What statement is true?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A because in an older adult with an indwelling urinary catheter, a fever >100°F can be a sign of urinary tract infection (UTI) or urosepsis. Given her acute decline in mental status and fever, empiric antibiotic therapy is warranted to treat a potential infection. Choice B is incorrect because older adults with indwelling catheters are at increased risk for UTIs and bloodstream infections. Choice C is incorrect as obtaining a urine culture is important to confirm the diagnosis and guide appropriate antibiotic therapy. Choice D is incorrect as the duration of antibiotic treatment for a UTI is typically longer than 3 days.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% (Betanate). When managing an acute flare of atopic dermatitis unresponsive to emollient therapy, topical corticosteroids like betamethasone are often the first-line treatment due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Betamethasone is a potent corticosteroid that can help reduce inflammation, itching, and redness associated with atopic dermatitis. Oral corticosteroids (Choice A) are generally reserved for severe cases due to potential systemic side effects. Desonide (Choice C) is a milder topical corticosteroid suitable for maintenance therapy but may not be potent enough for acute flares. Pimecrolimus (Choice D) is a calcineurin inhibitor used for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis and is generally not the first choice for initial treatment of acute flares.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: It was the first device to produce X-rays. The Crookes tube, invented by William Crookes, was crucial in the development of modern imaging technologies because it was the first device to produce X-rays. X-rays revolutionized medical diagnostics and imaging, leading to significant advancements in healthcare. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because the primary significance of the Crookes tube was its role in producing X-rays, not demonstrating electromagnetic radiation principles, paving the way for the electron microscope, or advancements in nuclear medicine.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Repeat PSA in 6 months. In this case, the patient's PSA levels have decreased from 12 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL after treatment with tamsulosin and removal of the Foley catheter. Given the improvement in PSA levels, it is reasonable to monitor for further changes before considering invasive procedures like transrectal ultrasound and biopsy (choice A), which may not be necessary at this time. Empiric finasteride (choice B) is not indicated as the patient is already responding well to tamsulosin. A bone scan (choice C) is not necessary at this stage as there are no indications of metastasis. Therefore, repeating the PSA in 6 months allows for continued monitoring of the patient's prostate health without subjecting him to unnecessary procedures.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Lower dose of antibiotics. The rationale is that the patient has early renal insufficiency, which means the kidney may have difficulty clearing medications from the body. Therefore, a lower dose of antibiotics is needed to prevent potential drug toxicity. A shorter course of antibiotics (choice A) may not be effective in treating pneumonia adequately. A longer course of antibiotics (choice B) may increase the risk of drug accumulation in the body. A higher dose of antibiotics (choice D) can lead to increased toxicity in a patient with renal insufficiency. Thus, the most appropriate option is to reduce the dose to ensure safe and effective treatment.