Dental OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) Practice Exam

Which clinical finding indicates a viral infection in the throat?

1. Pus in the throat

2. Swollen tonsils with normal color

3. Fever and chills

4. Severe throat pain

The correct answer is: Swollen tonsils with normal color

Swollen tonsils with normal color can indicate a viral throat infection, particularly in the context of viral pharyngitis or tonsillitis. In viral infections, the inflammatory response can lead to swelling of the tonsils without the presence of pus, which typically suggests a bacterial infection like streptococcal pharyngitis. A throat with swollen tonsils maintaining a normal coloration can also suggest that the body's immune response is managing the viral challenge without progressing to secondary bacterial infection, which would typically cause the tonsils to appear red, swollen, and possibly covered in exudate (pus). Other clinical findings, such as pus in the throat, are more commonly associated with bacterial infections. Fever and chills may be present in both viral and bacterial infections but are not specific indicators of a viral cause. Severe throat pain is subjective and can occur in both viral and bacterial infections, so it does not distinctly point toward a viral etiology. The presence of swollen tonsils with their normal appearance is thus a more indicative sign of a viral infection in the throat.