Unstable angina — MCQs

A 60-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with chest pain that started 20 minutes ago while watching television at home. The pain is substernal and squeezing in nature. She rates the pain as 6/10 and admits to having similar pain in the past with exertion. Her past medical history is significant for diabetes mellitus that is controlled with metformin. The physical examination is unremarkable. An electrocardiogram (ECG) shows ST-segment depression in the lateral leads. She is started on aspirin, nitroglycerin, metoprolol, unfractionated heparin, and insulin. She is asked not to take metformin while at the hospital. Three sets of cardiac enzymes are negative. Lab results are given below: Serum glucose 88 mg/dL Sodium 142 mEq/L Potassium 3.9 mEq/L Chloride 101 mEq/L Serum creatinine 1.2 mg/dL Blood urea nitrogen 22 mg/dL Cholesterol, total 170 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol 40 mg/dL LDL-cholesterol 80 mg/dL Triglycerides 170 mg/dL Hematocrit 38% Hemoglobin 13 g/dL Leucocyte count 7,500/mm3 Platelet count 185,000 /mm3 Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) 30 seconds Prothrombin time (PT) 12 seconds Urinalysis Glucose negative Ketones negative Leucocytes negative Nitrites negative Red blood cells (RBC) negative Casts negative An echocardiogram reveals left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. With the pain subsiding, she was admitted and the medications were continued. A coronary angiography is planned in 4 days. In addition to regular blood glucose testing, which of the following should be closely monitored in this patient?

A 59-year-old man with angina pectoris comes to the physician because of a 6-month history of shortness of breath on exertion that improves with rest. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Current medications include aspirin, metoprolol, and nitroglycerine. Echocardiography shows left ventricular septal and apical hypokinesis. Cardiac catheterization shows 96% occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. The patient undergoes angioplasty and placement of a stent. The patient's shortness of breath subsequently resolves and follow-up echocardiography one week later shows normal regional contractile function. Which of the following is the most accurate explanation for the changes in echocardiography?

A 70-year-old woman presents with substernal chest pain. She says that the symptoms began 2 hours ago and have not improved. She describes the pain as severe, episodic, and worse with exertion. She reports that she has had multiple similar episodes that have worsened and increased in frequency over the previous 4 months. Past medical history is significant for diabetes and hypertension, both managed medically. The vital signs include temperature 37.0°C (98.6°F), blood pressure 150/100 mm Hg, pulse 80/min, and respiratory rate 15/min. Her serum total cholesterol is 280 mg/dL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is 30 mg/dL. The electrocardiogram (ECG) shows ST-segment depression on multiple chest leads. Coronary angiography reveals 75% narrowing of her left main coronary artery. In which of the following anatomical locations is a mural thrombus most likely to form in this patient?

A 47-year-old man presents as a new patient at an outpatient clinic. He has never seen a physician before, but was motivated by his 40-year-old brother's recent heart attack and seeks to optimize his health. In particular, he read that uncontrolled atherosclerosis can lead to a heart attack. Which molecule is downregulated in response to the advent of atherosclerosis?

In a patient with acute myocardial ischemia, which of the following cardiovascular structures is at greatest risk of damage?

A 73-year-old man presents to the outpatient clinic complaining of chest pain with exertion. He states that resting for a few minutes usually resolves the chest pain. Currently, he takes 81 mg of aspirin daily. He has a blood pressure of 127/85 mm Hg and heart rate of 75/min. Physical examination reveals regular heart sounds and clear lung sounds bilateral. Which medication regimen below should be added?

A 58-year-old man presents to the emergency department with severe chest pain and uneasiness. He says that symptoms onset acutely half an hour ago while he was watching television. He describes the pain as being 8/10 in intensity, sharp in character, localized to the center of the chest and retrosternal, and radiating to the back and shoulders. The patient denies any associated change in the pain with breathing or body position. He says he has associated nausea but denies any vomiting. He denies any recent history of fever, chills, or chronic cough. His past medical history is significant for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus for which he takes lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, simvastatin, and metformin. He reports a 30-pack-year smoking history and has 1–2 alcoholic drinks during the weekend. Family history is significant for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and an ST elevation myocardial infarction in his father and paternal uncle. His blood pressure is 220/110 mm Hg in the right arm and 180/100 mm Hg in the left arm. On physical examination, the patient is diaphoretic. Cardiac exam reveals a grade 2/6 diastolic decrescendo murmur loudest over the left sternal border. Remainder of the physical examination is normal. The chest radiograph shows a widened mediastinum. The electrocardiogram (ECG) reveals non-specific ST segment and T wave changes. Intravenous morphine and beta-blockers are started. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 60-year-old man presents to the emergency department with progressive dyspnea for the last 3 weeks. He complains of shortness of breath while lying flat and reports nighttime awakenings due to shortness of breath for the same duration. The patient has been a smoker for the last 30 years. Past medical history is significant for myocardial infarction 7 months ago. Current medications include metoprolol, aspirin, and rosuvastatin, but the patient is noncompliant with his medications. His temperature is 37.2°C (98.9°F), the blood pressure is 150/115 mm Hg, the pulse is 110/min, and the respiratory rate is 24/min. Oxygen saturation on room air is 88%. Chest auscultation reveals bilateral crackles and an S3 gallop. On physical examination, the cardiac apex is palpated in left 6th intercostal space. Bilateral pitting edema is present, and the patient is in moderate distress. Which of the following is the best next step in the management of the patient?

A 72-year-old female presents to the emergency department following a syncopal episode while walking down several flights of stairs. The patient has not seen a doctor in several years and does not take any medications. Your work-up demonstrates that she has symptoms of angina and congestive heart failure. Temperature is 36.8 degrees Celsius, blood pressure is 160/80 mmHg, heart rate is 81/min, and respiratory rate is 20/min. Physical examination is notable for a 3/6 crescendo-decrescendo systolic murmur present at the right upper sternal border with radiation to the carotid arteries. Random blood glucose is 205 mg/dL. Which of the following portends the worst prognosis in this patient?

A 57-year-old man presents to his primary care provider because of chest pain for the past 3 weeks. The chest pain occurs after climbing more than 2 flight of stairs or walking for more than 10 minutes and resolves with rest. He is obese, has a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and has smoked 15-20 cigarettes a day for the past 25 years. His father died from a myocardial infarction at 52 years of age. Vital signs reveal a temperature of 36.7 °C (98.06°F), a blood pressure of 145/93 mm Hg, and a heart rate of 85/min. The physical examination is unremarkable. Which of the following best represents the most likely etiology of the patient’s condition?