Autonomic/CV Drugs — MCQs

A 49-year-old woman with a long-standing history of a seizure disorder presents with fatigue, weight gain, and hair loss. The patient reports that the symptoms have gradually worsened over the past month and have not improved. Past medical history is significant for a seizure disorder diagnosed 10 years ago, for which she recently switched medications. She currently takes phenytoin 300 mg orally daily and a multivitamin. Review of systems is significant for decreased appetite, recent constipation, and cold intolerance. Her temperature is 37.0°C (98.6°F), the blood pressure is 100/80 mm Hg, the pulse is 60/min, the respiratory rate is 16/min, and the oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. On physical exam, the patient is slow to respond but cooperative. Cardiac exam is normal. Lungs are clear to auscultation. Skin is coarse and dry. Mild to moderate hair loss is present over the entire body, and the remaining hair is brittle. Which of the following additional findings would you expect to see in this patient?

A 45-year-old female presents to her primary care physician with a chief complaint of easy bruising and bleeding over the last 6 months. She has also noticed that she has been having fatty, foul smelling stools. Past history is significant for cholecystectomy a year ago to treat a long history of symptomatic gallstones. Based on clinical suspicion a coagulation panel was obtained showing a prothrombin time (PT) of 18 seconds (normal range 9-11 seconds), a partial thromboplastin time (PTT) of 45 seconds (normal 20-35 seconds), with a normal ristocetin cofactor assay (modern equivalent of bleeding time). Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's bleeding?

A 59-year-old man presents with intense, sharp pain in his toe for the past hour. He reports similar symptoms in the past and this is his 2nd visit to the emergency department this year with the same complaint. The patient is afebrile and the vital signs are within normal limits. On physical examination, there is significant erythema, swelling, warmth, and moderate pain on palpation of the right 1st toe. The remainder of the examination is unremarkable. A plain radiograph of the right foot reveals no abnormalities. Joint arthrocentesis of the inflamed toe reveals urate crystals. Laboratory studies show: Serum glucose (random) 170 mg/dL Sodium 140 mEq/L Potassium 4.1 mEq/L Chloride 100 mEq/L Uric acid 7.2 mg/dL Serum creatinine 0.8 mg/dL Blood urea nitrogen 9 mg/dL Cholesterol, total 170 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol 43 mg/dL LDL-cholesterol 73 mg/dL Triglycerides 135 mg/dL HDL: high-density lipoprotein; LDL: low-density lipoprotein Ibuprofen is prescribed for the acute treatment of this patient's symptoms. He is also put on chronic therapy to prevent the recurrence of future attacks. Which of the following drugs is 1st-line for chronic therapy of gout?

A 57-year-old man presents with episodic left periorbital pain that radiates to the left frontotemporal side of his head for the last 2 weeks. The episodes are severe and are usually present for 1–2 hours before bedtime. During these episodes, he has also noticed lacrimation on the left side and a runny nose. He has tried over-the-counter analgesics with no relief. He currently has a headache. He denies any cough, seizure, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, or visual disturbances. His past medical history is significant for a myocardial infarction 1 year ago, with residual angina with exertion. The patient has a 10 pack-year history of smoking, but no alcohol or recreational drug use. His vital signs include: blood pressure 155/90 mm Hg, pulse 90/min, and respiratory rate 15/min. Physical examination is significant for a left-sided Horner’s syndrome. Which of the following is the next best step in the acute management of this patient’s most likely condition?

A 43-year-old female presents to her endocrinologist for a new patient appointment. She initially presented three months ago as a referral for a new diagnosis of type II diabetes mellitus. At that time, her HbA1c was found to be 8.8%, and she was started on metformin. Her metformin was quickly uptitrated to the maximum recommended dose. At the same visit, her body mass index (BMI) was 31 kg/m^2, and the patient was counseled on the importance of diet and exercise for achieving better glycemic control. Today, the patient reports complete adherence to metformin as well as her other home medications of atorvastatin and lisinopril. She also started a daily walking routine and has lost two pounds. Her HbA1c today is 7.6%, and her BMI is stable from her last visit. The patient is discouraged by her slow weight loss, and she would like to lose an additional 5-10 pounds. Which of the following would be the best choice as a second agent in this patient?

Thirty minutes after surgical nasal polyp removal for refractory rhinitis, a 40-year-old man has retrosternal chest tightness and shortness of breath in the post-anesthesia care unit. The surgical course was uncomplicated and the patient was successfully extubated before arrival to the unit. He received 0.5 L of lactated Ringer's solution intraoperatively. The patient was given morphine and ketorolac for postoperative pain. He has a history of obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, hypertension, and sensitivity to aspirin. His daily medications include metoprolol and lisinopril. He has smoked a pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years. Pulse oximetry shows an oxygen concentration of 97% with support of 100% oxygen via face mask. Bilateral wheezes are heard in both lungs. Breath sounds are decreased. The patient's face appears flushed. ECG shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely underlying cause of this patient's symptoms?

A 43-year-old man presents with a severe, throbbing, left-sided headache for the last 2 hours. He says that the pain has been progressively worsening and is aggravated by movement. The patient says he has had similar episodes in the past and would take acetaminophen and ‘sleep it off’. He also complains that the light in the room is intolerably bright, and he is starting to feel nauseous. No significant past medical history and no current medications. Vital signs include: pulse 110/min, respiratory rate 15/min, and blood pressure 136/86 mm Hg. Physical examination reveals mild conjunctival injection in the left eye. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is normal. The rest of the examination is unremarkable. The patient is given a medication which relieves his symptoms. During discharge, he wants more of this medication to prevent episodes in future but he is told that the medication is only effective in terminating acute attacks but not for prevention. Which of the following receptors does the drug given to this patient bind to?

A 22-year-old man presents with a painful right arm. He says the pain started several hours ago after he fell on his right shoulder while playing college football. He says that he felt a stinging sensation running down his right arm when he fell. On physical examination, there is a reduced range of motion of the right arm. Plain radiographs of the right shoulder confirm the presence of a shoulder dislocation. A detailed examination yields no evidence of neurovascular problems, and a decision is made to reduce the shoulder using ketamine. Which of the following side effects will be most likely seen in this patient after administering ketamine?

A 68-year-old man presents to the emergency department with shortness of breath for the past 2 hours. He mentions that he had a cough, cold, and fever for the last 3 days and has taken an over-the-counter cold preparation. He is hypertensive and has had coronary artery disease for the last 7 years. His regular medications include aspirin and ramipril. On physical examination, temperature is 36.9°C (98.4°F), pulse is 120/min, blood pressure is 118/80 mm Hg, and respiratory rate is 24/min. Pulse oximetry shows an oxygen saturation of 99%. Pitting edema is present bilaterally over the ankles and pretibial regions, and the peripheral extremities are warm to touch. On auscultation of the lung fields, pulmonary crackles are heard over the lung bases bilaterally. Auscultation of the precordium reveals a third heart sound. On examination of the abdomen, mild tender hepatomegaly is present. The chest radiograph is not suggestive of consolidation. Which of the following medications is the drug of choice for initial management of this patient?

Twelve hours after undergoing a right hip revision surgery for infected prosthesis, a 74-year-old man has numbness in his fingertips and around the lips. His surgery was complicated by severe blood loss. He underwent a total right hip replacement 2 years ago. He has hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. His father had hypoparathyroidism. The patient has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 40 years. His current medications include metformin and captopril. He appears uncomfortable. His temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 90/min, and blood pressure is 110/72 mm Hg. Examination shows an adducted thumb, flexed metacarpophalangeal joints and wrists, and extended fingers. Tapping the cheeks 2 cm ventral to the ear lobes leads to contraction of the facial muscles. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?