In which of the following patient situations would a physician be ...

[hubes95]

In which of the following patient situations would a physician be most justified in preliminarily ruling out pericarditis as a contributing pathology to the patient's health problems?
 
  A)
  A 61-year-old man whose ECG was characterized by widespread T-wave inversions on admission but whose T waves have recently normalized
  B)
  A 77-year-old with diminished S3 and S4 heart tones, irregular heart rate, and a history of atrial fibrillation
  C)
  A 56-year-old obese man who is complaining of chest pain that is exacerbated by deep inspiration and is radiating to his neck and scapular ridge
  D)
  A 60-year-old woman whose admission blood work indicates elevated white cells, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels

Question 2

If a virus has caused inflammation resulting in endothelial dysfunction, an excessive amount of endothelins in the blood can result in
 
  A)
  arterial wall weakening resulting in aneurysm formation.
  B)
  release of excess fatty plaque causing numerous pulmonary emboli.
  C)
  contraction of the underlying smooth muscles within the vessels.
  D)
  overproduction of growth factors resulting in new vessel production.

[lin77x]

Answer to Question 1

Ans:
B

Feedback:

S3 and S4 irregularities and irregular heart rate are not noted symptoms of pericarditis. Widespread T-wave inversions that later normalize; chest pain radiating to the neck and scapula that is worse on inspiration; and high white cells, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels are all indicators of pericarditis.

Answer to Question 2

Ans:
C

Feedback:

Endothelial dysfunction describes several types of potentially reversible changes in endothelial function that occur in response to environmental stimuli. Inducers of endothelial dysfunction include cytokines, bacterial, viral, and parasitic products that cause inflammation. They also influence the reactivity of underlying smooth muscle cells through production of both relaxing factors (nitric oxide) and contracting factors (e.g., endothelins).

[hubes95]

Excellent

[marict]

Gracias!