Cardiology — MCQs

Six days after being admitted to the hospital for a cholecystectomy, a 56-year-old woman has high-grade fevers, chills, malaise, and generalized weakness. She has been hospitalized twice in the last year for acute cholecystitis. She had a molar extraction around 2 weeks ago. Her last colonoscopy was 8 months ago and showed a benign polyp that was removed. She has mitral valve prolapse, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypothyroidism. Current medications include metformin, rituximab, levothyroxine, and enalapril. Her temperature is 38.3°C (101°F), pulse is 112/min, and blood pressure is 138/90 mm Hg. Examination shows painless macules over her palms and soles and linear hemorrhages under her nail beds. The lungs are clear to auscultation. There is a grade 3/6 systolic murmur heard best at the apex. Blood is drawn and she is started on intravenous antibiotic therapy. Two sets of blood cultures grow coagulase-negative staphylococci. An echocardiography shows a large oscillating vegetation on the mitral valve and moderate mitral regurgitation. Which of the following is the strongest predisposing factor for this patient's condition?

A 35-year-old male is brought to the emergency room after he was found to have a blood pressure of 180/100 mm Hg during a routine health check-up with his family physician. Past medical history is insignificant and both of his parents are healthy. He currently does not take any medication. The patient's blood pressure normalizes before the emergency department physician can evaluate him. During the physical examination, his blood pressure is 148/80 mm Hg, heart rate is 65/min, temperature is 36.8°C (98.2°F), and respirations are 14/min. He has a round face, centripetal obesity, and striae on the skin with atrophy over the abdomen and thighs. On visual field examination, he is found to have loss of vision in the lateral visual fields bilaterally. You order a low dose dexamethasone suppression test, which is positive, and you proceed to measure ACTH and obtain a high-dose dexamethasone suppression test. If this is a pituitary gland disorder, which of the following lab abnormalities is most likely present in this patient?

A 23-year-old man comes to the physician with a 1-week history of sharp, substernal chest pain that is worse with inspiration and relieved with leaning forward. He has also had nausea and myalgias. His father has coronary artery disease. His temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 110/min, and blood pressure is 130/84 mm Hg. Cardiac examination shows a high-pitched rubbing sound between S1 and S2 that is best heard at the left sternal border. An ECG shows depressed PR interval and diffuse ST elevations. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A 67-year-old man comes to the physician because of difficulty walking for 2 months. He has been falling to his left side when he walks more than a few feet. His speech has also changed in the past few months, and he now pauses between each syllable. He has never had similar symptoms before. He has hypertension and cirrhosis as a result of alcoholic liver disease. He does not smoke and he no longer drinks alcohol. His current medications include lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide daily. His vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows discrete scleral icterus and jaundice. There is ascites and gynecomastia present. Neurological examination shows nystagmus with fast beats toward the left. He has dysmetria and tremor when performing left-sided finger-nose-finger testing, and dysdiadochokinesia with rapid alternating movements. He has a wide-based gait and a pronator drift of the left arm. He has full range of motion in his arms and legs without rigidity. He has full muscle strength, and sensation to light touch is intact. Further evaluation is most likely to show which of the following?

A 56-year-old man comes to the physician because of chest pain and shortness of breath for 3 days. The pain is present at rest and worsens with deep inspiration. His temperature is 37.2°C (99°F), pulse is 102/min, respirations are 23/min, and blood pressure is 135/88 mm Hg. Examination shows decreased breath sounds at the left lower lobe. Laboratory studies show: Hematocrit 42% Leukocyte count 6,500/μL Serum Fasting glucose 90 mg/dL Lactate dehydrogenase 75 U/L Total protein 7.2 g/dL An x-ray of the chest shows a small left-sided pleural effusion but no other abnormalities. A diagnostic thoracentesis is performed and 100 mL of bloody fluid are aspirated from the left pleural space. Pleural fluid analysis shows a lactate dehydrogenase of 65 U/L and a total protein of 5.1 g/dL. Pleural fluid cytology shows normal cell morphology. Further evaluation of this patient is most likely to show a history of which of the following?

A 27-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 4-month history of unintentional weight gain, fatigue, and decreased sexual desire. There is no personal or family history of serious illness. His blood pressure is 149/88 mm Hg. Physical examination shows central obesity and abdominal striae. He has a prominent soft tissue bulge at the dorsum of his neck. Laboratory studies show a 24-hour urinary free cortisol of 200 μg (N < 50) and a morning serum ACTH of 1 pg/mL (N = 7–50). Which of the following tests is most likely to confirm the underlying etiology of this patient's symptoms?

An overweight 57-year-old woman comes to her primary care physician for a routine checkup. She has no current complaints and takes no medications. Her mother and brother have type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Vital signs show a blood pressure of 145/95 mmHg, temperature of 37°C (98.6°F), and a pulse of 85/minute. Her lab results are shown: Fasting blood glucose 158 mg/dL HbA1c 8.6% Low-density lipoprotein 210 mg/dL High-density lipoprotein 27 mg/dL Triglycerides 300 mg/dL Which of the following tests is recommended for this patient?

A 35-year-old patient presents to the emergency department with sudden onset severe headache and dizziness following a motor vehicle accident. After initial assessment, the patient is sent for an urgent CT scan of the head. CT scan reveals a mild hypodensity in the left cerebellum. What is the most likely etiology/cause?

A 67-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by her caretakers for a change in behavior. The patient lives in a nursing home and was noted to have abnormal behavior, urinary incontinence, and trouble walking. The patient has been admitted to the hospital before for what seems to be negligence from her caretakers. Laboratory values are ordered as seen below. Serum: Na+: 120 mEq/L Cl-: 98 mEq/L K+: 4.3 mEq/L HCO3-: 25 mEq/L BUN: 20 mg/dL Glucose: 99 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.1 mg/dL Ca2+: 10.2 mg/dL Urinalysis is notable for bacteruria without pyuria or nitrates. Physical exam is notable for a confused woman who is unable to answer questions appropriately. She states she has no pain or symptoms and is not sure why she is here. She thinks the year is 1982. Which of the following complications could be seen with treatment of this patient?

A 77-year-old male presents to the emergency department because of shortness of breath and chest discomfort. The patient states his ability to withstand activity has steadily declined, and most recently he has been unable to climb more than one flight of stairs without having to stop to catch his breath. On physical exam, the patient has a harsh crescendo-decrescendo systolic murmur heard over the right sternal border, with radiation to his carotids. Which of the following additional findings are most likely in this patient?