A 65-Year-Old Man with Chronic Bronchitis Comes to the Emergency

A 65-year-old man with chronic bronchitis comes to the emergency department due to 2 days of fever, chills, chest pain, and productive cough.  He has been hospitalized on several occasions for exacerbations of chronic bronchitis.  The patient has been advised to stop smoking but continues to smoke cigarettes.  He drinks 6-10 beers daily.  Temperature is 40.2 C (104.4 F) , blood pressure is 100/70 mm Hg, pulse is 104/min, and respirations are 28/min.  On examination, he is in mild respiratory distress.  There are crackles and decreased breath sounds in the right upper lobe.  His chest x-ray shows right upper lobe consolidation.  Sputum microscopy reveals encapsulated gram-negative bacilli.  The bacteria grow pink, mucoid colonies on MacConkey agar.  Which of the following organisms is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

A) Hemophilus influenzae
B) Klebsiella pneumoniae
C) Legionella pneumophila
D) Moraxella catarrhalis
E) Mycoplasma pneumoniae
F) Pseudomonas aeruginosa
G) Streptococcus pneumoniae

Correct Answer:

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