Autonomic/CV Drugs — MCQs

A 77-year-old man with type 2 diabetes mellitus is admitted to the hospital because of chest pain and dyspnea. Serum troponin levels are elevated and an ECG shows ST-segment depressions in the lateral leads. Percutaneous coronary angiography is performed and occlusion of the distal left anterior descending coronary artery is identified. Pharmacotherapy with eptifibatide is initiated and a drug-eluting stent is placed in the left anterior descending coronary artery. The mechanism by which eptifibatide acts is similar to the underlying pathophysiology of which of the following conditions?

An 18-year-old man presents to his primary care provider for a routine checkup. He feels well and has no complaints. He is the captain of his high school football team and will be attending college on a football scholarship the following year. His past medical history is unremarkable. He underwent a laparoscopic appendectomy at age 13. He takes no medications and has no allergies. His temperature is 99.1°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 155/85 mmHg, pulse is 96/min, and respirations are 16/min. On examination, he has severe nodulocystic acne. He has gained 15 pounds and 1/2 inch in height since his last visit one year ago. Mild gynecomastia and testicular shrinkage are noted. This patient is at the greatest risk of developing which of the following?

A 60-year-old male presents to your office for follow-up after an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy revealed the presence of esophageal varices. His medical history is significant for cirrhosis caused by heavy alcohol abuse for the past 20 years. He was instructed to follow-up with his primary care physician for management of his condition. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step for prevention of future variceal bleeding?

A 36-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital because of irritability, nausea, and diarrhea. She has a history of recreational oxycodone use and last took a dose 48 hours ago. Physical examination shows mydriasis, rhinorrhea, and piloerection. A drug is administered that provides an effect similar to oxycodone but does not cause euphoria. Which of the following best explains the difference in effect?

A 51-year-old Caucasian female presents to her primary care provider complaining of intermittent chest pain. She reports that over the past 6 months, she has developed burning chest pain that occurs whenever she exerts herself. The pain decreases when she rests. Her past medical history is notable for type II diabetes mellitus. Her family history is notable for multiple myocardial infarctions in her father and paternal grandmother. She currently takes aspirin and metformin. Her primary care provider starts her on a medication which is indicated given her medical history and current symptoms. However, 10 days later, she presents to the emergency room complaining of weakness and muscle pain. Her plasma creatine kinase level is 250,000 IU/L. This patient was most likely started on a medication that inhibits an enzyme that produces which of the following?

A 58-year-old woman presents with frequent headaches for the past few months. She says the pain starts randomly and is unrelated to any stimulus. She also says that she has difficulty falling asleep and has had problems concentrating at work for several months. While she occasionally thinks about committing suicide, she denies any suicidal plans. Her appetite is diminished. No significant past medical history. No current medications. There is no family history of depression or psychiatric illness. The physical exam is unremarkable. The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level is 3.5 uU/mL. The patient is started on amitriptyline and asked to follow-up in 2 weeks. At her follow-up visit, the patient reports slight improvement in her mood and has no more headaches, but she complains of lightheadedness when she rises out of bed in the morning or stands up from her desk at work. Which of the following pharmacological effects of amitriptyline is most likely responsible for her lightheadedness?

A 61-year-old female is referred to an oncologist for evaluation of a breast lump that she noticed two weeks ago while doing a breast self-examination. Her past medical history is notable for essential hypertension and major depressive disorder for which she takes lisinopril and escitalopram, respectively. Her temperature is 98.6°F (37°C), blood pressure is 120/65 mmHg, pulse is 82/min, and respirations are 18/min. Biopsy of the lesion confirms a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma with metastatic disease in the ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes. The physician starts the patient on a multi-drug chemotherapeutic regimen. The patient successfully undergoes mastectomy and axillary dissection and completes the chemotherapeutic regimen. However, several months after completion of the regimen, the patient presents to the emergency department with dyspnea, chest pain, and palpitations. A chest radiograph demonstrates an enlarged cardiac silhouette. This patient’s current symptoms could have been prevented by administration of which of the following medications?

A 60-year-old woman with a history of atrial arrhythmia arrives in the emergency department with complaints of tinnitus, headache, visual disturbances, and severe diarrhea. The patient is given oxygen by nasal cannula. ECG leads, pulse oximeter and an automated blood pressure cuff are applied. The patient suddenly faints. Her ECG indicates the presence of a multifocal ventricular tachycardia with continuous change in the QRS electrical axis. Which of the following drugs is most likely responsible for this patient's symptoms?

A 54-year-old man with a long-standing history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presents to the clinic for progressive shortness of breath. The patient reports generalized fatigue, distress, and difficulty breathing that is exacerbated with exertion. Physical examination demonstrates clubbing of the fingers, and an echocardiogram shows right ventricular hypertrophy. The patient is placed on a medication for symptom control. One month later, the patient returns for follow up with some improvement in symptoms. Laboratory tests are drawn and shown below: Serum: Na+: 137 mEq/L Cl-: 101 mEq/L K+: 4.8 mEq/L HCO3-: 25 mEq/L BUN: 8.5 mg/dL Glucose: 117 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.4 mg/dL Thyroid-stimulating hormone: 1.8 µU/mL Ca2+: 9.6 mg/dL AST: 159 U/L ALT: 201 U/L What is the mechanism of action of the likely medication given?

A 19-year-old boy presents to the emergency department with difficulty breathing, which began 1 hour ago. He has had persistent bronchial asthma since 3 years of age and has been prescribed inhaled fluticasone (400 μg/day) by his pediatrician. He has not taken the preventer inhaler for the last 2 weeks and visited an old house today that had a lot of dust accumulated on the floor. On physical examination, his temperature is 36.8°C (98.4°F), the pulse is 110/min, and the respiratory rate is 24/min. There are no signs of respiratory distress, and chest auscultation reveals bilateral wheezing. Which of the following medications is most likely to provide quick relief?