Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS)

A woman returning from South Africa with night sweats, chest discomfort, and a persistent cough is most likely suffering from what condition?

1. Pneumonia

2. Cytomegaly virus

3. Tuberculosis

4. Mononucleosis

The correct answer is: Tuberculosis

The symptoms presented by the woman—night sweats, chest discomfort, and a persistent cough—are highly indicative of tuberculosis (TB), especially given her recent travel to South Africa, a region known to have a higher prevalence of this disease. TB often manifests with respiratory symptoms, including chronic cough, and systemic symptoms like weight loss and night sweats, which align closely with the woman's condition. Furthermore, the infectious nature of tuberculosis and its mode of transmission through airborne particles is pertinent, especially in a context where she may have been exposed to someone with the disease while traveling. This geographic exposure combined with her clinical presentation strongly suggests a diagnosis of tuberculosis over other conditions. Pneumonia, while presenting with similar respiratory symptoms, typically does not correlate with the systemic symptom of night sweats to the same extent and is often acute rather than the chronic issue represented here. Cytomegalovirus and mononucleosis, on the other hand, usually present with a different set of symptoms, including significant fatigue and lymphadenopathy, which are not highlighted in this case. Therefore, given the travel history and symptomatology, tuberculosis is the most likely condition.