Family Nurse Practitioner Exam

What condition is suggested by a patient with facial pain that worsens when bending down after a cold?

1. Acute sinusitis

2. Acute bronchitis

3. Fever secondary to viral URI

4. Munchausen's syndrome

The correct answer is: Acute sinusitis

The condition indicated by facial pain that worsens when bending down following a cold is typically acute sinusitis. This condition often arises when there is an obstruction of the sinus cavities, which can occur after a viral upper respiratory infection (URI). The inflammation and swelling of the sinus membranes can result in a buildup of mucus and pressure in the sinus cavities, leading to facial pain, especially when bending forward, as this movement increases pressure on the sinuses. While other conditions listed may also present with symptoms after a cold, they do not specifically correlate with the facial pain and the exacerbation upon bending down. For example, acute bronchitis is more related to chest symptoms and cough rather than facial pain. Fever secondary to a viral URI may occur, but it wouldn’t specifically cause localized facial pain. Munchausen's syndrome entails fabricating or inducing illness rather than presenting with physical symptoms from a known cause like sinusitis. This specificity in presentation helps narrow down the diagnosis to acute sinusitis as the most likely condition associated with the described symptoms.