Lyndon, an 8-year-old boy presents to your clinic with a 3-day history of a “white coating” in his mouth. He denies having a sore throat, upper respiratory infection symptoms, gastrointestinal (GI) distress, change in appetite, or fever.

According to his mother, Lyndon’s immunizations are current.  He has been developing normally. He is consistent honor student. His weight, however, has dropped significantly. He has been hospitalized on three occasions in the last year with pneumonia or dehydration.

Lyndon’s family history is remarkable only for maternal hepatitis C infection related to past intravenous (IV) drug use.

The patient is afebrile today, but his examination is notable for severe gingivitis, bilateral cervical and axillary lymphadenopathy, exudates on his buccal mucosa, and hepatomegaly.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

If you had a blood transfusion before 1992 your chances of contracting hepatitis C are increased In ... View the full answer