A young woman has been diagnosed by her family physician with primary Raynaud disease.
The woman is distraught stating, I've always been healthy, and I can't believe I have a disease now. What would be her physician's most appropriate response?
A)
This likely won't have a huge effect on your quality of life, and I'll prescribe anticlotting drugs to prevent attacks.
B)
I'll teach you some strategies to minimize its effect on your life, and minor surgery to open up your blood vessels will help too.
C)
You need to make sure you never start smoking, and most of the symptoms can be alleviated by regular physical activity.
D)
If you make sure to keep yourself warm, it will have a fairly minimal effect; I'll also give you pills to enhance your circulation.
Question 2
A patient arrived at the emergency department 2 days after the development of chest pressure and tightness was treated with antacids thinking it was indigestion.
His enzymes show a massive myocardial infarction (MI). Following angioplasty, the patient asks why so much muscle was damaged if only one vessel was blocked, the left circumflex. The nurse responds,
A)
With any blockage in the heart, muscle damage always occurs.
B)
If a major artery like the circumflex is occluded, the smaller vessels supplied by that vessel cannot restore the blood flow.
C)
Since the circumflex artery supplies oxygenated blood flow to the posterior surface of the left ventricle, any amount of blockage will result in vital muscle tissue being lost.
D)
When it comes to arteries in the heart, all vessels are equal, and any blockage causes a massive amount of damage that will not be restored.