Sedative-hypnotic use disorders — MCQs

A 32-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because he was found stumbling in the street heedless of oncoming traffic. On arrival, he is found to be sluggish and has slow and sometimes incoherent speech. He is also drowsy and falls asleep several times during questioning. Chart review shows that he has previously been admitted after getting a severe cut during a bar fight. Otherwise, he is known to be intermittently homeless and has poorly managed diabetes. Serum testing reveals the presence of a substance that increases the duration of opening for an important channel. Which of the following symptoms may be seen if the most likely substance in this patient is abruptly discontinued?

A 53-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by her husband because of difficulty walking, slurred speech, and progressive drowsiness. The husband reports that his wife has appeared depressed over the past few days. She has a history of insomnia and social anxiety disorder. She appears lethargic. Her temperature is 36.2°C (97.1°F), pulse is 88/min, respirations are 12/min, and blood pressure is 110/80 mm Hg. Neurologic examination shows normal pupils. There is diffuse hypotonia and decreased deep tendon reflexes. Administration of a drug that acts as a competitive antagonist at which of the following receptors is most likely to reverse this patient's symptoms?

A 79-year-old man, hospitalized for overnight monitoring after elective surgery, is found on morning rounds to be confused and disoriented. He was recovering well in the post-anesthesia care unit before being moved up to the inpatient floor unit; however, he was found to be delirious and agitated overnight. Therefore, he was given a dose of a drug that affects the opening frequency of a neuronal ion channel. During morning rounds, he is found to have weakness, tremors, uncoordinated muscle movements, blurred vision, and disorientation. Which of the following could be used to reverse the drug that was administered to this patient?

An 8-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by his parents 30 minutes after losing consciousness. He was at a water park with his family when he fell to the ground and started to have jerking movements of the arms and legs. On arrival, he continues to have generalized, violent muscle contractions and is unresponsive to verbal and painful stimuli. The emergency department physician administers lorazepam. The expected beneficial effect of this drug is most likely caused by which of the following mechanisms?

A 21-year-old female is brought by her brother to the emergency department after having a generalized tonic-clonic seizure one hour ago. She is slightly confused and has no recollection of her seizure. Her brother relayed that the patient has a history of severe anxiety for which she takes medication. For the past several days, he noticed that his sister exhibited body tremors, appeared to be agitated with quick mood changes, and, at times, was delirious. He states his sister recently ran out of her medications while visiting from out of town. Which of the following would best treat the patient's condition?

A 34-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by fire and rescue after an apparent suicide attempt. She reports ingesting several pills 6 hours prior to presentation but cannot recall what they were. No pills were found on the scene. She complains of severe malaise, ringing in her ears, and anxiety. Her past medical history is notable for bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and diabetes. She takes lithium, methotrexate, metformin, and glyburide. She has a reported history of benzodiazepine and prescription opioid abuse. Her temperature is 102.2°F (39°C), blood pressure is 135/85 mmHg, pulse is 110/min, and respirations are 26/min. On exam, she appears diaphoretic and pale. Results from an arterial blood gas are shown: pH: 7.48 PaCO2: 32 mmHg HCO3-: 23 mEq/L This patient should be treated with which of the following?

A 16-year-old boy with history of seizure disorder is rushed to the Emergency Department with multiple generalized tonic-clonic seizures that have spanned more than 30 minutes in duration. He has not regained consciousness between these episodes. In addition to taking measures to ensure that he maintains adequate respiration, which of the following is appropriate for initial pharmacological therapy?

A 58-year-old right-handed man is brought to the emergency department after he was found unconscious in his living room by his wife. She reports that he has never had a similar episode before. The patient has hypertension and consumes multiple alcoholic drinks per day. On arrival, he is confused and oriented only to person. He cannot recall what happened. He has difficulty speaking and his words are slurred. He reports a diffuse headache and muscle pain and appears fatigued. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 85/min, respirations are 14/min, and blood pressure is 135/70 mm Hg. Examination shows a 2-cm bruise on his right shoulder. Strength is 5/5 throughout, except for 1/5 in the left arm. The remainder of the physical examination shows no abnormalities. An ECG shows left ventricular hypertrophy. A CT scan of the head without contrast shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely underlying cause of this patient's symptoms?

A 34-year-old man presents to the behavioral health clinic for an evaluation after seeing animal-shaped clouds in the form of dogs, cats, and monkeys. The patient says that these symptoms have been present for more than 2 weeks. Past medical history is significant for simple partial seizures for which he takes valproate, but he has not had his medication adjusted in several years. His vital signs include: blood pressure of 124/76 mm Hg, heart rate of 98/min, respiratory rate of 12/min, and temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F). On physical examination, the patient is alert and oriented to person, time, and place. Affect is not constricted or flat. Speech is of rapid rate and high volume. Pupils are equal and reactive bilaterally. The results of a urine drug screen are as follows: Alcohol positive Amphetamine negative Benzodiazepine negative Cocaine positive GHB negative Ketamine negative LSD negative Marijuana negative Opioids negative PCP negative Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 30-year-old man with schizophrenia stabilized on clozapine presents to establish care at a new clinic. Records show stable psychiatric symptoms for 2 years. Routine urine drug screen is positive for cocaine. He admits to using cocaine 2-3 times monthly at parties but denies it affects his functioning. He has maintained employment, housing, and medication adherence. He refuses substance use treatment, stating 'it's recreational and under control.' His last clozapine level was therapeutic. Evaluate the management approach balancing psychiatric stability, substance use, and patient autonomy.