A 55-year-old man presents to his physician with a complaint of recurrent episodes of palpitations over the past 2 weeks. He also mentions that he tends to tire easily. He denies chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, or syncope, but has a history of ischemic heart disease. He smokes 1 pack of cigarettes every day and drinks alcohol occasionally. The physical examination revealed a temperature of 36.9°C (98.4°F), a pulse of 124/min (irregular), a blood pressure of 142/86 mm Hg, and a respiratory rate of 16/min. Auscultation of his chest is normal with an absence of rales overall lung fields. An ECG was significant for fibrillatory waves and an irregular RR interval. Thus, the physician concludes that the symptoms are due to atrial fibrillation. The patient is prescribed oral diltiazem. Which of the following side effects should the physician warn the patient about?
AStevens-Johnson syndrome
BBloody diarrhea
CHypoglycemia
DBilateral pedal edema
EMultifocal atrial tachycardia
A 42-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 20 minutes after the sudden onset of severe chest pain, diaphoresis, shortness of breath, and palpitations. His symptoms occurred while he was at a party with friends. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 24 years. He uses cocaine occasionally. The last use was three hours ago. He appears pale. His pulse is 110/min, blood pressure is 178/106 mm Hg, and respirations are 24/min. His pupils are dilated and react sluggishly to light. The lungs are clear to auscultation. An ECG shows tachycardia and ST segment elevation in leads II, III, and aVF. While recording the ECG, the patient loses consciousness. A photo of the ECG at that point is shown. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?
AAdminister lidocaine
BUnsynchronized cardioversion
CAdminister epinephrine
DCoronary angiography
ESynchronized cardioversion
A 29-year-old woman with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome presents to her cardiologist’s office for a follow-up visit. She collapsed at her job and made a trip to the emergency department 1 week ago. At that time, she received a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response and hemodynamic instability. While in the emergency department, she underwent direct-current cardioversion to return her heart to sinus rhythm. Her current medications include procainamide. At the cardiologist’s office, her heart rate is 61/min, respiratory rate is 16/min, the temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F), and blood pressure is 118/60 mm Hg. Her cardiac examination reveals a regular rhythm and a I/VI systolic ejection murmur best heard at the right upper sternal border. An ECG obtained in the clinic is shown. Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment to prevent further episodes of tachyarrhythmia?
ABegin anticoagulation with dabigatran
BAdd verapamil to her medication regimen
CBegin anticoagulation with warfarin
DRefer her for electrophysiology (EP) study and ablation
ERefer her for right heart catheterization
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