Rosh Emergency Medicine Practice Test

What findings would suggest a diagnosis for a patient who has both fever and jaundice after traveling to India?

1. A. Hepatitis A infection

2. B. Hepatitis B infection

3. C. Non-viral hepatitis

4. D. Acute cholangitis

The correct answer is: A. Hepatitis A infection

In the context of a patient presenting with fever and jaundice after traveling to India, Hepatitis A infection is a highly plausible diagnosis. Hepatitis A is a viral infection that is commonly spread through the consumption of contaminated food and water, particularly in areas with poor sanitation, which includes many regions in India. The classical symptoms of Hepatitis A include acute onset of fever, malaise, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and jaundice, which develops as the infection progresses. The presence of fever in conjunction with jaundice can suggest a viral etiology, and Hepatitis A is particularly notable for causing these symptoms in a traveler returning from an endemic area. Hepatitis B, while also a consideration, typically has a different transmission route (primarily via blood and bodily fluids) and may not present acutely with fever in the same way. Non-viral hepatitis could be considered if there was a different suspected etiology (such as drug toxicity or alcohol use), but it does not have the same epidemiological links to travel that Hepatitis A does. Acute cholangitis, while it can present with fever and jaundice, is usually accompanied by additional symptoms such as severe abdominal pain and is often related to biliary obstruction or infection, which would be less