Anesthesia complications — MCQs

A 16-year-old girl is brought to the emergency department by her friends who say that she took a whole bottle of her mom’s medication. They do not know which medication it was she ingested. The patient is slipping in and out of consciousness and is unable to offer any history. Her temperature is 39.6°C (103.2°F), the heart rate is 135/min, the blood pressure is 178/98 mm Hg, and the respiratory rate is 16/min. On physical examination, there is significant muscle rigidity without tremor or clonus. Which of the following is the best course of treatment for this patient?

Six days after undergoing a left hemicolectomy for colorectal carcinoma, a 59-year-old man collapses in the hospital hallway and is unconscious for 30 seconds. Afterwards, he complains of shortness of breath and chest pain with deep inhalation. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. He smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 35 years but quit prior to admission to the hospital. He does not drink alcohol. He is in distress and appears ill. His temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F), blood pressure is 80/50 mm Hg, and pulse is 135/min and weak. Oxygen saturation is 88% on room air. Physical examination shows elevated jugular venous distention. Cardiac examination shows a regular, rapid heart rate and a holosystolic murmur that increases during inspiration. His abdomen is soft and mildly tender to palpation around the surgical site. Examination of his extremities shows pitting edema of the left leg. His skin is cold and clammy. Further examination is most likely to reveal which of the following findings?

An infant boy of unknown age and medical history is dropped off in the emergency department. The infant appears lethargic and has a large protruding tongue. Although the infant exhibits signs of neglect, he is in no apparent distress. The heart rate is 70/min, the respiratory rate is 30/min, and the temperature is 35.7°C (96.2°F). Which of the following is the most likely cause of the patient’s physical exam findings?

A 22-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department after being struck by a car while crossing the street. She has major depressive disorder with psychosis. Current medications include sertraline and haloperidol. Vital signs are within normal limits. X-ray of the lower extremity shows a mid-shaft femur fracture. The patient is taken to the operating room for surgical repair of the fracture. As the surgeon begins the internal fixation, the patient shows muscle rigidity and profuse diaphoresis. Her temperature is 39°C (102.2°F), pulse is 130/min, respirations are 24/min, and blood pressure is 146/70 mm Hg. The pupils are equal and reactive to light. The end tidal CO2 is 85 mm Hg. Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment for this patient's condition?

A 16-year-old male presents to the emergency department complaining of episodes of pounding headache, chest fluttering, and excessive sweating. He has a past history of kidney stones that are composed of calcium oxalate. He does not smoke or drink alcohol. Family history reveals that his mother died of thyroid cancer. Vital signs reveal a temperature of 37.1°C (98.7°F), blood pressure of 200/110 mm Hg and pulse of 120/min. His 24-hour urine calcium, serum metanephrines, and serum normetanephrines levels are all elevated. Mutation of which of the following genes is responsible for this patient's condition?

A 37-year-old-woman presents to the emergency room with complaints of fever and abdominal pain. Her blood pressure is 130/74 mmHg, pulse is 98/min, temperature is 101.5°F (38.6°C), and respirations are 23/min. The patient reports that she had a laparoscopic cholecystectomy 4 days ago but has otherwise been healthy. She is visiting her family from Nebraska and just arrived this morning from a 12-hour drive. Physical examination revealed erythema and white discharge from abdominal incisions and tenderness upon palpations at the right upper quadrant. What is the most probable cause of the patient’s fever?

Three days after undergoing an open cholecystectomy, a 73-year-old man has fever and abdominal pain. He has hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. He had smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 40 years but quit 1 year ago. He does not drink alcohol. Prior to admission to the hospital, his medications included lisinopril, metformin, ipratropium, and tamsulosin. He appears acutely ill and lethargic. His temperature is 39.5°C (103.1°F), pulse is 108/min, respirations are 18/min, and blood pressure is 110/84 mm Hg. He is oriented only to person. Examination shows a 10-cm subcostal incision that appears dry and non-erythematous. Scattered expiratory wheezing is heard throughout both lung fields. His abdomen is distended with tenderness to palpation over the lower quadrants. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 10.1 g/dl Leukocyte count 19,000/mm3 Serum Glucose 180 mg/dl Urea Nitrogen 25 mg/dl Creatinine 1.2 mg/dl Lactic acid 2.5 mEq/L (N = 0.5 - 2.2 mEq/L) Urine Protein 1+ RBC 1–2/hpf WBC 32–38/hpf Which of the following is the most likely underlying mechanism of this patient's current condition?

A 19-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 35 minutes after being involved in a high-speed motor vehicle collision. On arrival, he is alert, has mild chest pain, and minimal shortness of breath. He has one episode of vomiting in the hospital. His temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 108/min, respirations are 23/min, and blood pressure is 90/70 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 92%. Examination shows multiple abrasions over his trunk and right upper extremity. There are coarse breath sounds over the right lung base. Cardiac examination shows no murmurs, rubs, or gallop. Infusion of 0.9% saline is begun. He subsequently develops increasing shortness of breath. Arterial blood gas analysis on 60% oxygen shows: pH 7.36 pCO2 39 mm Hg pO2 68 mm Hg HCO3- 18 mEq/L O2 saturation 81% An x-ray of the chest shows patchy, irregular infiltrates over the right lung fields. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Five days after undergoing right knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis, a 68-year-old man has severe pain in his right knee preventing him from participating in physical therapy. On the third postoperative day when the dressing was changed, the surgical wound appeared to be intact, slightly swollen, and had a clear secretion. He has a history of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Current medications include metformin, enalapril, and simvastatin. His temperature is 37.3°C (99.1°F), pulse is 94/min, and blood pressure is 130/88 mm Hg. His right knee is swollen, erythematous, and tender to palpation. There is pain on movement of the joint. The medial parapatellar skin incision appears superficially opened in its proximal and distal part with yellow-green discharge. There is blackening of the skin on both sides of the incision. Which of the following is the next best step in the management of this patient?

A 56-year-old man presents to the emergency department with severe chest pain and a burning sensation. He accidentally drank a cup of fluid at his construction site 2 hours ago. The liquid was later found to contain lye. On physical examination, his blood pressure is 100/57 mm Hg, respiratory rate is 21/min, pulse is 84/min, and temperature is 37.7°C (99.9°F). The patient is sent immediately to the radiology department. The CT scan shows air in the mediastinum, and a contrast swallow study confirms the likely diagnosis. Which of the following is the best next step in the management of this patient’s condition?