Panic disorder — MCQs

A 55-year-old man with a history of myocardial infarction 3 months ago presents with feelings of depression. He says that he has become detached from his friends and family and has daily feelings of hopelessness. He says he has started to avoid strenuous activities and is no longer going to his favorite bar where he used to spend a lot of time drinking with his buddies. The patient says these symptoms have been ongoing for the past 6 weeks, and his wife is starting to worry about his behavior. He notes that he continues to have nightmares that he is having another heart attack. He says he is even more jumpy than he used to be, and he startles very easily. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

An 18-year-old man presents to the student health department at his university for recurrent palpitations. The patient had previously presented to the emergency department (ED) for sudden onset palpitations five months ago when he first started college. He had a negative cardiac workup in the ED and he was discharged with a 24-hour Holter monitor which was also negative. He has no history of any medical or psychiatric illnesses. The patient reports that since his initial ED visit, he has had several episodes of unprovoked palpitations associated with feelings of dread and lightheadedness though he cannot identify a particular trigger. Recently, he has begun sitting towards the back of the lecture halls so that he can “quickly escape and not make a scene” in case he gets an episode in class. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 32-year-old farmer is brought to the emergency department by his wife. The patient was reportedly anxious, sweaty, and complaining of a headache and chest tightness before losing consciousness on route to the hospital. Which of the following is mechanistically responsible for this patient's symptoms?

A 25-year-old woman presents with a history of recurrent attacks of unprovoked fear, palpitations, and fainting. The attacks are usually triggered by entering a crowded place or public transport, so the patient tries to avoid being in public places alone. Besides this, she complains of difficulties in falling asleep, uncontrolled worry about her job and health, fear to lose the trust of her friends, and poor appetite. She enjoys dancing and has not lost a passion for her hobby, but recently when she participated in a local competition, she had an attack which made her stop her performance until she calmed down and her condition improved. She feels upset due to her condition. She works as a sales manager and describes her work as demanding with multiple deadlines to be met. She recently broke up with her boyfriend. She does not report any chronic medical problems, but she sometimes takes doxylamine to fall asleep. She has a 4-pack-year history of smoking and drinks alcohol occasionally. On presentation, her blood pressure is 110/60 mm Hg, heart rate is 71/min, respiratory rate is 13/min, and temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F). Her physical examination is unremarkable. Which of the following medications can be used for the acute management of the patient’s attacks?

A previously healthy 24-year-old woman comes to the physician because of recurrent episodes of a choking sensation, palpitations, diffuse sweating, and shortness of breath over the past 3 months. These episodes occur without warning and last for about 10 minutes before gradually resolving. One episode occurred while at a shopping center, and she now avoids busy areas for fear of triggering another. She has been evaluated in the emergency department twice during these episodes; both times her ECG showed normal sinus rhythm and serum cardiac enzymes and thyroid hormone levels were normal. She does not currently have symptoms but is concerned that the episodes could occur again at any time and that there may be something wrong with her heart. She does not smoke or drink alcohol. Her only medication is an oral contraceptive. Vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Urine toxicology screening is negative. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 23-year-old man comes to the emergency department with palpitations, sweating, and shortness of breath that began 10 minutes ago. He says, “Please help me, I don't want to die.” He has experienced several similar episodes over the past 2 months, which occurred without warning in situations including open spaces or crowds and resolved gradually after 5 to 10 minutes. He has been staying at home as much as possible out of fear of triggering another episode. He has no history of serious illness and takes no medications. He drinks 3 bottles of beer daily. He appears anxious and has a flushed face. His pulse is 104/min, respirations are 12/min, and blood pressure is 135/82 mm Hg. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. An ECG shows sinus tachycardia. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial step in management?

A 36-year-old woman comes to the physician because of an 8-month history of occasional tremor. The tremor is accompanied by sudden restlessness and nausea, which disrupts her daily work as a professional violinist. The symptoms worsen shortly before upcoming concerts but also appear when she goes for a walk in the city. She is concerned that she might have a neurological illness and have to give up her career. The patient experiences difficulty falling asleep because she cannot stop worrying that a burglar might break into her house. Her appetite is good. She drinks one glass of wine before performances "to calm her nerves" and otherwise drinks 2–3 glasses of wine per week. The patient takes daily multivitamins as prescribed. She appears nervous. Her temperature is 36.8°C (98.2°F), pulse is 92/min, and blood pressure is 135/80 mm Hg. Mental status examination shows a full range of affect. On examination, a fine tremor on both hands is noted. She exhibits muscle tension. The remainder of the neurological exam shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's symptoms?

A 32-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 2 month history of difficulty sleeping and worsening fatigue. During this time, he has also had difficulty concentrating and remembering tasks at work as well as diminished interest in his hobbies. He has no suicidal or homicidal ideation. He does not have auditory or visual hallucinations. Vital signs are normal. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Mental status examination shows a depressed mood and flat affect with slowed thinking and speech. The physician prescribes sertraline. Three weeks later, the patient comes to the physician again with only minor improvements in his symptoms. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 52-year-old man presents with a 1-month history of a depressed mood. He says that he has been “feeling low” on most days of the week. He also says he has been having difficulty sleeping, feelings of being worthless, difficulty performing at work, and decreased interest in reading books (his hobby). He has no significant past medical history. The patient denies any history of smoking, alcohol use, or recreational drug use. A review of systems is significant for a 7% unintentional weight gain over the past month. The patient is afebrile and his vital signs are within normal limits. A physical examination is unremarkable. The patient is prescribed sertraline 50 mg daily. On follow-up 4 weeks later, the patient says he is slightly improved but is still not feeling 100%. Which of the following is the best next step in the management of this patient?

A 36-year-old woman complains of difficulty falling asleep over the past 4 months. On detailed history taking, she says that she drinks her last cup of tea at 8:30 p.m. before retiring at 10:30 p.m. She then watches the time on her cell phone on and off for an hour before falling asleep. In the morning, she is tired and makes mistakes at work. Her husband has not noticed excessive snoring or abnormal breathing during sleep. Medical history is unremarkable. She has smoked 5–7 cigarettes daily for 7 years and denies excess alcohol consumption. Her physical examination is normal. Which of the following is the best initial step in the management of this patient’s condition?