A 79-year-old male presents to your office for his annual flu shot. On physical exam you note several linear bruises on his back. Upon further questioning he denies abuse from his daughter and son-in-law, who live in the same house. The patient states he does not want this information shared with anyone. What is the most appropriate next step, paired with its justification?
ABreach patient confidentiality, as this patient's care should be discussed with the daughter as she is his primary caregiver
BSee the patient back in 2 weeks and assess whether the patient's condition has improved, as his condition is not severe
CDo not break patient confidentiality, as elder abuse reporting is not mandatory
DDo not break patient confidentiality, as this would potentially worsen the situation
EBreach patient confidentiality, as this patient is a potential victim of elder abuse and reporting is mandated in most states
A 66-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident. The patient was a restrained passenger in a car that was struck on the passenger side while crossing an intersection. In the emergency department, he is alert and complaining of abdominal pain. He has a history of hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic kidney disease, and perforated appendicitis for which he received an interval appendectomy four years ago. His home medications include rosuvastatin and lansoprazole. His temperature is 99.2°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 120/87 mmHg, pulse is 96/min, and respirations are 20/min. He has full breath sounds bilaterally. He is tender to palpation over the left 9th rib and the epigastrium. He is moving all four extremities. His FAST exam reveals fluid in Morrison's pouch. This patient is most likely to have which of the following additional signs or symptoms?
APain radiating to the back
BGross hematuria
CMuffled heart sounds
DFree air on chest radiograph
EShoulder pain
A 68-year-old woman presents to the hospital for an elective right hemicolectomy. She is independently mobile and does her own shopping. She has had type 2 diabetes mellitus for 20 years, essential hypertension for 15 years, and angina on exertion for 6 years. She has a 30-pack-year history of smoking. The operation was uncomplicated. On post-op day 5, she becomes confused. She has a temperature of 38.5°C (101.3°F), respiratory rate of 28/min, and oxygen saturation of 92% on 2 L of oxygen. She is tachycardic at 118/min and her blood pressure is 110/65 mm Hg. On chest auscultation, she has coarse crackles in the right lung base. Her surgical wound appears to be healing well, and her abdomen is soft and nontender. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
AMalignant hyperthermia
BDrug-induced fever
CMultiple organ dysfunction syndrome
DSepsis
ENon-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)
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