Blood pressure management in stroke — MCQs

A 72-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of blurry vision for the past 3 days. He has also had 4 episodes of right-sided headaches over the past month. He has no significant past medical history. His father died of coronary artery disease at the age of 62 years. His temperature is 37.2°C (99°F), pulse is 94/min, and blood pressure is 232/128 mm Hg. Fundoscopy shows right-sided optic disc blurring and retinal hemorrhages. A medication is given immediately. Five minutes later, his pulse is 75/min and blood pressure is 190/105 mm Hg. Which of the following drugs was most likely administered?

What is the primary mechanism for maintaining constant cerebral blood flow despite changes in systemic blood pressure?

A 52-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department for a severe, sudden-onset headache, light-sensitivity, and neck stiffness that began 30 minutes ago. A CT scan of the head shows hyperdensity between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater. The patient undergoes an endovascular procedure. One week later, she falls as she is returning from the bathroom. Neurologic examination shows 3/5 strength in the right lower extremity and 5/5 in the left lower extremity. Treatment with which of the following drugs is most likely to have prevented the patient's current condition?

A 51-year-old man presents to the urgent care center with a blood pressure of 201/111 mm Hg. He is complaining of a severe headache and chest pain. Physical examination reveals regular heart sounds and clear bilateral lung sounds. Ischemic changes are noted on his electrocardiogram (ECG). What is the most appropriate treatment for this patient’s high blood pressure?

A 78-year-old man is brought in to the emergency department by ambulance after his wife noticed that he began slurring his speech and had developed facial asymmetry during dinner approximately 30 minutes ago. His past medical history is remarkable for hypertension and diabetes. His temperature is 99.1°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 154/99 mmHg, pulse is 89/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Neurologic exam reveals right upper and lower extremity weakness and an asymmetric smile. Which of the following is the next best step in management?

A 44-year-old female is admitted to the neurological service. You examine her chart and note that after admission she was started on nimodipine. Which of the following pathologies would benefit from this pharmacologic therapy?

A 74-year-old man presents to the emergency department by paramedics for slurred speech and weakness in the left arm and leg for 1 hour. The patient was playing with his grandson when the symptoms started and his wife immediately called an ambulance. There is no history of head trauma or recent surgery. The patient takes captopril for hypertension. The vital signs include: pulse 110/min, respiratory rate 22/min, and blood pressure 200/105 mm Hg. The physical examination shows that the patient is alert and conscious, but speech is impaired. Muscle strength is 0/5 in the left arm and leg and 5/5 in the right arm and leg. A non-contrast CT of the head shows no evidence of intracranial bleeding. The lab results are as follows: Serum glucose 90 mg/dL Sodium 140 mEq/L Potassium 4.1 mEq/L Chloride 100 mEq/L Serum creatinine 1.3 mg/dL Blood urea nitrogen 20 mg/dL Cholesterol, total 240 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol 38 mg/dL LDL-cholesterol 100 mg/dL Triglycerides 190 mg/dL Hemoglobin (Hb%) 15.3 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 83 fL Reticulocyte count 0.8% Erythrocyte count 5.3 million/mm3 Platelet count 130,000/mm3 Partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) 30 sec Prothrombin time (PT) 12 sec Although he is within the time frame for the standard therapy of the most likely condition, the treatment cannot be started because of which of the following contraindications?

A 69-year-old man is brought by his son to the emergency department with weakness in his right arm and leg. The man insists that he is fine and blames his son for "creating panic". Four hours ago the patient was having tea with his wife when he suddenly dropped his teacup. He has had difficulty moving his right arm since then and cannot walk because his right leg feels stuck. He has a history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, for which he currently takes lisinopril and atorvastatin, respectively. He is allergic to aspirin and peanuts. A computerized tomography (CT) scan shows evidence of an ischemic stroke. Which medication would most likely prevent such attacks in this patient in the future?

A 44-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of a severe headache and blurry vision for the past 3 hours. He has hypertension treated with hydrochlorothiazide. He has missed taking his medication for the past week as he was traveling. He is only oriented to time and person. His temperature is 37.1°C (98.8°F), pulse is 92/min and regular, and blood pressure is 245/115 mm Hg. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Fundoscopy shows bilateral retinal hemorrhages and exudates. Neurologic examination shows no focal findings. A complete blood count and serum concentrations of electrolytes, glucose, and creatinine are within the reference range. A CT scan of the brain shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy?

A 37-year-old woman presents to her physician with a newly detected pregnancy for the initial prenatal care visit. She is gravida 3 para 2 with a history of preeclampsia in her 1st pregnancy. Her history is also significant for arterial hypertension diagnosed 1 year ago for which she did not take any medications. The patient reports an 8-pack-year smoking history and states she quit smoking a year ago. On examination, the vital signs are as follows: blood pressure 140/90 mm Hg, heart rate 69/min, respiratory rate 14/min, and temperature 36.6°C (97.9°F). The physical examination is unremarkable. Which of the following options is the most appropriate next step in the management for this woman?