USMLE-Rx Step 1 Qmax Challenge #4019

Check out today’s Step 1 Qmax Question Challenge.

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A 46-year-old man presents with a temperature of 38.6°C (101.5°F). He was fine 2 weeks ago, but started feeling poorly a few days ago after a dental examination. Physical examination reveals tender raised lesions on the beds of his fingers and toes, and painless, erythematous lesions on his palms and soles, like those in the images. On further questioning, the physician discovers that the man has a history of rheumatic fever as a child. Blood cultures are drawn.

The most likely causative organism will have which characteristics?

A. Gram-positive cocci, catalase-negative, β-hemolytic, bacitracin-resistant
B. Gram-positive cocci, catalase-negative, β-hemolytic, bacitracin-sensitive
C. Gram-positive cocci, catalase-negative, α-hemolytic, optochin-resistant
D. Gram-positive cocci, catalase-positive
E. Gram-positive, weakly acid-fast rod

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