Assignment task:
A 40-year-old man presents with chronic cough, night sweats, and unintentional weight loss. He has a history of recent travel to a country with a high prevalence of tuberculosis. On physical examination, he has dullness to percussion and decreased breath sounds in the right upper lobe. What is the most appropriate initial test to confirm the diagnosis?
Group of answer choices
- Sputum culture for acid-fast bacilli
- Pulmonary function tests
- CT scan of the chest
- Chest X-ray