Cardiology — MCQs

A 68-year-old man comes to the physician for a routine health maintenance examination. His wife has noticed that his left eye looks smaller than his right eye. He has had left shoulder and arm pain for 3 months. He has hypertension and coronary artery disease. Current medications include enalapril, metoprolol, aspirin, and atorvastatin. His medical history is significant for gonorrhea, for which he was treated in his 30's. He has smoked two packs of cigarettes daily for 35 years. He does not drink alcohol. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 71/min, and blood pressure is 126/84 mm Hg. The pupils are unequal; when measured in dim light, the left pupil is 3 mm and the right pupil is 5 mm. There is drooping of the left eyelid. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Application of apraclonidine drops in both eyes results in a left pupil size of 5 mm and a right pupil size of 4 mm. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 30-year-old African American man comes to the doctor's office for an annual checkup. He feels healthy and his only concern is an occasional headache after work. Past medical history is significant for an appendectomy 10 years ago and a fractured arm playing football in high school. His mother has type 2 diabetes mellitus, while his father and grandfather both have hypertension. He does not drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or use drugs. His vital signs include: pulse 78/min and regular, respiratory rate 16/min, and temperature 36.8°C (98.2°F). Physical examination reveals an overweight African American man 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) tall and weighing 80 kg (176 lb) with a protuberant belly. BMI is 28.7 kg/m2. The remainder of the examination is unremarkable. During his last 2 visits, his blood pressure readings have been 140/86 mm Hg and 136/82 mm Hg. Today his blood pressure is 136/86 mm Hg and his laboratory tests show: Serum Glucose (fasting) 90.0 mg/dL Serum Electrolytes: Sodium 142.0 mEq/L Potassium 3.9 mEq/L Chloride 101.0 mEq/L Serum Creatinine 0.8 mg/dL Blood urea nitrogen 9.0 mg/dL Urinalysis: Glucose Negative Ketones Negative Leukocytes Negative Nitrite Negative RBCs Negative Casts Negative Which of the following is the next best step in the management of this patient?

A 72-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by her daughter because of left-sided weakness for 1 hour. She does not have headache or blurring of vision. She has hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease. She has smoked one half-pack of cigarettes daily for 45 years. Her medications include atorvastatin, amlodipine, metformin, and aspirin. Her temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 92/min, and blood pressure is 168/90 mm Hg. Examination shows a left facial droop. Muscle strength is decreased on the left side. Deep tendon reflexes are 3+ on the left. Sensation to pinprick, light touch, and vibration as well as two-point discrimination are normal. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these findings?

A 69-year-old man is brought to the emergency department for severe tearing lower back pain for 12 hours. The pain radiates to the flank and he describes it as 8 out of 10 in intensity. He has nausea and has vomited several times. He has no fever, diarrhea, or urinary symptoms. When he stands up suddenly, he becomes light-headed and has to steady himself for approximately 1 to 2 minutes before he is able to walk. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Two years ago, he had a myocardial infarction and underwent coronary artery bypass grafting of his right coronary artery. He has smoked one and a half packs of cigarettes daily for 40 years and drinks 1 to 2 beers daily. His current medications include chlorthalidone, atorvastatin, lisinopril, and aspirin. He appears acutely ill. His temperature is 37.2°C (98.9°F), pulse is 130/min and regular, respirations are 35/min, and blood pressure is 80/55 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 85%. Examination shows a pulsatile mass in the abdomen. Intravenous fluids and high-flow oxygen are started. Thirty minutes later, the patient dies. Which of the following was the strongest predisposing factor for the condition leading to this patient's death?

A 19-year-old woman comes to the physician for a routine health maintenance examination. She appears well. Her vital signs are within normal limits. Cardiac auscultation shows a mid-systolic click and a grade 3/6, late-systolic, crescendo murmur that is best heard at the cardiac apex in the left lateral recumbent position. After the patient stands up suddenly, the click is heard during early systole and the intensity of the murmur increases. Which of the following is the most likely underlying cause of this patient's examination findings?

A 30-year-old woman is brought to the clinic at her husband's insistence for sleep disturbances. Most nights of the week she repeatedly gets out of bed to pace around their apartment before returning to bed. The woman says that while she's lying in bed, she becomes overwhelmed by a "creepy-crawly" feeling in her legs that she can only relieve by getting out of bed. Past medical history is noncontributory and physical exam is unremarkable. Which of the following laboratory studies is most likely abnormal in this patient?

A 70-year-old male with a 10-year history of COPD visits his pulmonologist for a checkup. Physical examination reveals cyanosis, digital clubbing, and bilateral lung wheezes are heard upon auscultation. The patient has a cough productive of thick yellow sputum. Which of the following findings is most likely present in this patient?

A 57-year-old woman is admitted to the intensive care unit for management of shock. Her pulse is feeble and blood pressure is 86/45 mm Hg. The patient undergoes pulmonary artery catheterization which shows an elevated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and increased systemic vascular resistance. Which of the following additional findings is most likely in this patient?

A 72-year-old man presents to the emergency department with severe respiratory distress. He was diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer 6 months ago and underwent 2 rounds of chemotherapy. He says that he has had a cough and flu-like symptoms for the past week. During the interview, he is having progressive difficulty answering questions and suddenly becomes obtunded with decreased motor reflexes. His temperature is 38.8°C (102.0°F), blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg, pulse is 94/min, and respirations are 22/min. Pulse oximetry is 82% on room air. The patient’s medical record contains an advanced directive stating that he would like all interventions except for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 74-year-old man is brought from a nursing home to the emergency room for progressive confusion. The patient has a history of stroke 3 years ago, which rendered him wheelchair-bound. He was recently started on clozapine for schizoaffective disorder. Vital signs reveal a temperature of 38.7°C (101.66°F), a blood pressure of 100/72 mm Hg, and a pulse of 105/minute. On physical examination, he is disoriented to place and time. Initial lab work-up results are shown: Serum glucose: 945 mg/dL Serum sodium: 120 mEq/L Serum urea: 58 mg/dL Serum creatinine: 2.2 mg/dL Serum osmolality: 338 mOsm/kg Serum beta-hydroxybutyrate: negative Urinalysis reveals: numerous white blood cells and trace ketones Which of the following manifestations is more likely to be present in this patient?