Autonomic/CV Drugs — MCQs

A 69-year-old woman comes to the clinic for an annual well exam. She reports no significant changes to her health except for an arm fracture 3 weeks ago while she was lifting some heavy bags. Her diabetes is well controlled with metformin. She reports some vaginal dryness that she manages with adequate lubrication. She denies any weight changes, fevers, chills, palpitations, nausea/vomiting, incontinence, or bowel changes. A dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan was done and demonstrated a T-score of -2.7. She was subsequently prescribed a selective estrogen receptor modulator, in addition to vitamin and weight-bearing exercises, for the management of her symptoms. What is the mechanism of action of the prescribed medication?

A 58-year-old man with a 10-year history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension comes to the physician for a routine examination. Current medications include metformin and captopril. His pulse is 84/min and blood pressure is 120/75 mm Hg. His hemoglobin A1c concentration is 9.5%. The physician adds repaglinide to his treatment regimen. The mechanism of action of this agent is most similar to that of which of the following drugs?

A 45-year-old woman comes to the clinic for complaints of abdominal pain and repeated watery stools for the past 2 days. She has a history of bowel complaints for the past 2 years consisting of periods of intermittent loose stools followed by the inability to make a bowel movement. Her past medical history is significant for diabetes controlled with metformin. She denies any abnormal oral intake, weight loss, fever, nausea/vomiting, or similar symptoms in her family. When asked to describe her stool, she reports that “it is just very watery and frequent, but no blood.” The physician prescribes a medication aimed to alleviate her symptoms. What is the most likely mechanism of action of this drug?

A 26-year-old woman is brought to the ED by her fiance with cyanosis and shortness of breath. Gradually over the last few days she has also experienced headaches, fatigue, and dizziness. Her past medical history is significant only for mild anemia attributed to menorrhagia, for which she takes an iron supplement. Per her fiance, she was recently laid-off, but is very excited about her new entrepreneurial endeavor of selling silk scarves that she dyes in their basement. She is afebrile, tachypneic, and tachycardic, and her oxygen saturation is 85% on room air, which seems high for her perceived degree of cyanosis. An arterial blood gas is drawn and the patient's blood is chocolate-colored. After a few minutes on 6 liters nasal canula, her oxygen saturation is still 85%. In addition to maintaining her airway, breathing, and circulation, what treatment should this patient also receive?

A 35-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with fever, diarrhea, and dysuria for the past day. She also complains of palpitations, poor concentration, and severe anxiety. She was diagnosed with Graves disease 6 months ago but admits that she has missed some doses of her prescribed medications in the past couple of months due to stress. Her temperature is 103°F (39°C) and pulse is 132/minute. A urine culture is obtained and grows Escherichia coli. Which of the following drugs would be most effective in treating this patient’s acute condition?

A 62-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of a 4-hour history of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and confusion. His wife reports that he had blurry vision on the way to the hospital. Two weeks ago, he lost his job and since then has been extremely worried about their financial situation and future. He has congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation well controlled with combination medical therapy. His temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F), pulse is 57/min and irregular, respirations are 14/min, and blood pressure is 118/63 mm Hg. The patient is oriented only to person. Serum studies show: Na+ 138 mEq/L Cl− 100 mEq/L K+ 5.3 mEq/L HCO3− 25 mEq/L Blood urea nitrogen 14 mg/dL Creatinine 0.9 mg/dL An ECG shows premature ventricular beats. The drug most likely responsible for this patient's symptoms has which of the following mechanisms of action?

A 27-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 2-month history of palpitations, diaphoresis, and a 5-kg (11-lb) weight loss. Her pulse is 101/min and blood pressure is 141/84 mm Hg. Physical examination shows a fine tremor when the fingers are outstretched. After confirmation of the diagnosis, treatment is begun with an antithyroid medication. The physician emphasizes the need for adequate contraception because of the increased risk of severe fetal malformations associated with the use of this medication, which is why its use is discouraged in the first trimester of pregnancy. Which of the following best describes the mechanism of action of this drug?

A 58-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 3-month history of intermittent pain in his right calf that occurs after walking up more than 2 flights of stairs. He reports that the pain is associated with a tingling sensation and lasts for about 10 minutes. He is otherwise healthy. He has smoked 2 packs of cigarettes daily for 30 years and drinks 1 alcoholic beverage daily. He currently takes no medications. His pulse is 78/min, and blood pressure is 180/110 mm Hg. Physical examination shows yellow plaques below the lower eyelids bilaterally, loss of hair on the distal third of the right leg, and brittle toenails on the right foot. Femoral pulses are palpable bilaterally; right popliteal and pedal pulses are absent. Which of the following is the most appropriate management to prevent future morbidity and mortality of this patient's condition?

A 55-year-old man presents to the emergency department with a 3-week history of shortness of breath. It started as exertional only, but progressed and is now present at rest. He says it's worse when he lies down; he has had a couple of episodes of waking up because of this shortness of breath with a choking sensation. He has not had any fever, cough, wheezing, or chest pain, but has noticed new swelling in his legs that has never happened before. He has also noticed that his hands and feet feel ‘weird’. Past medical history is unremarkable and social history is notable for drinking 4 vodka beverages per night for "as long as I can remember." On physical exam, his lungs have crackles up to the mid-lung fields. His bilateral lower extremities have 2+ pitting edema up to the mid-calf and he has jugular venous distension up to the angle of mandible. His bilateral hands and feet have sensory loss to pinprick and light touch with 4/5 strength on handgrip, wrist flexion and extension, ankle plantar flexion, and ankle dorsiflexion. This patient's presentation is most likely related to which of the following micronutrients?

A 60-year-old female sought a routine consultation in your clinic. She is diabetic and hypertensive. She had a history of myocardial infarction 2 years ago and is maintained on anticoagulants. When changing anticoagulants from heparin to warfarin, warfarin therapy is usually continued with heparin for the first 1–2 days. What is the rationale underlying the concurrent use of anticoagulants?