Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

A 21-year-old woman with pelvic pain and green cervical discharge likely has which condition?

1. Septic arthritis

2. Reiter's syndrome

3. Chondromalacia of the patella

4. Disseminated gonorrheal infection

The correct answer is: Disseminated gonorrheal infection

The presentation of pelvic pain and green cervical discharge in a 21-year-old woman strongly indicates a sexually transmitted infection, specifically a disseminated gonococcal infection. This condition occurs when Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria, responsible for gonorrhea, spread from the site of initial infection to other parts of the body, potentially affecting the cervix and causing cervicitis, which often presents with abnormal discharge. The greenish coloration of the discharge suggests a purulent process, which is common in gonococcal infections. Additionally, the pelvic pain can result from complications like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can occur if the infection ascends. Septic arthritis, Reiter's syndrome, and chondromalacia of the patella are not typically associated with green cervical discharge or pelvic pain in the context of a specific infection. Septic arthritis may involve joint pain but would not present with cervical discharge, while Reiter's syndrome, characterized by urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis, is also not linked to the discharge noted in this case. Chondromalacia of the patella involves knee pain and does not relate to the symptoms provided. Thus, the symptoms align most closely with disseminated gonorrheal infection