Autonomic/CV Drugs — MCQs

A 65-year-old man with a history of diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity is transferred from the cardiac catheterization lab to the cardiac critical care unit after sustaining a massive myocardial infarction. He received a bare metal stent and has now stabilized. However, shortly after being transferred, he reports palpitations. EKG reveals ventricular tachycardia. Your attending wishes to start an anti-arrhythmic drug with a high selectivity for ischemic cardiac myocytes. You call the nurse and ask her to begin intravenous:

A 38-year-old woman with a history of Crohn’s disease presents with a 3-week history of weight gain. The patient also presents with a 1-month history of abdominal pain, cramping, and bloody diarrhea consistent with worsening of her inflammatory bowel disease. Past medical history is significant for Crohn’s disease diagnosed 2 years ago for which she currently takes an oral medication daily and intermittently receives intravenous medication she cannot recall the name of. Her temperature is 37.0°C (98.6°F), blood pressure is 120/90 mm Hg, pulse is 68/min, respiratory rate is 14/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. Physical examination reveals significant truncal weight gain. The patient has excessive facial hair in addition to purplish striae on her abdomen. Which of the following laboratory findings would most likely be found in this patient?

A 34-year-old business executive presents to her primary care provider because of difficulty falling asleep on her trips. She makes 4–5 business trips from California to China every month. Her typical direct Los Angeles to Hong Kong flight leaves Los Angeles at 12:30 a.m. and reaches Hong Kong at 7:00 p.m. (local time) the next day. She complains of difficulty falling asleep at night and feeling sleepy the next morning. On arriving back in Los Angeles 2–3 days later, she feels extremely weak, has muscle soreness, and abdominal distension, all of which self-resolve in a few days. She is otherwise healthy and does not take any medications. Physical examination is unremarkable. After discussing general sleep hygiene recommendations, which of the following is the best next step for this patient’s condition?

A 72-year-old man presents to the outpatient clinic today. He has New York Heart Association class III heart failure. His current medications include captopril 20 mg, furosemide 40 mg, potassium chloride 10 mg twice daily, rosuvastatin 20 mg, and aspirin 81 mg. He reports that he generally feels well and has not had any recent worsening of his symptoms. His blood pressure is 132/85 mm Hg and heart rate is 84/min. Physical examination is unremarkable except for trace pitting edema of the bilateral lower extremities. What other medication should be added to his heart failure regimen?

A 17-year-old man presents to his primary care physician concerned about excessive sleepiness that has persisted his entire life. He notes that he has been having difficulty with his job as a waiter because he often falls asleep suddenly during the day. He also experiences a sensation of dreaming as he goes to sleep even though he still feels awake. He sleeps about 10 hours per day and still feels tired throughout the day. The patient has even reported driving into a tree once as he fell asleep while driving. The patient often stays up late at night working on the computer. Physical exam demonstrates an obese young man who appears tired. His oropharynx demonstrates high palatal ridges and good dental hygiene. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 43-year-old woman walks into the clinic for an annual check-up appointment with her family physician. When asked about any changes in her life, she states that she lost her job about 6 months ago. Since then, she has lived with her boyfriend who is also unemployed. She frequently uses laxatives and takes some over the counter medications to help her sleep. Her blood pressure is 129/87 mm Hg, respirations are 12/min, pulse is 58/min, and temperature is 36.7°C (98.1°F). Her physical exam is mostly benign. Her pupils appear mildly constricted and she appears drowsy and subdued. The physician suspects that the physical findings in this patient are caused by a substance she is likely abusing. Which of the following is the substance?

A 55-year-old woman comes to the physician because of involuntary rhythmic shaking of both hands for several months. More recently, she also noticed involuntary head nodding movements. The shaking seems to improve after having one or two glasses of wine. Her father had similar symptoms starting at the age of 60. Neurologic examination shows a symmetric hand tremor that worsens with voluntary movement of the respective extremity. The most appropriate pharmacotherapy for this patient's symptoms is also recommended for the treatment of which of the following conditions?

The drug cilostazol is known for its ability to relax vascular smooth muscle and therefore cause vasodilation through its inhibition of phosphodiesterase 3. Given this mechanism of action, what other effect would be expected?

A 68-year-old man presents to his primary care physician with a 4-week history of back pain. He says that the pain does not appear to be associated with activity and is somewhat relieved by taking an NSAID. Furthermore, he says that he has had increasing difficulty trying to urinate. His past medical history is significant for kidney stones and a 30-pack-year smoking history. Radiographs reveal osteoblastic lesions in the spine. Which of the following drugs would most likely be effective in treating this patient's disease?

A 63-year-old man comes to the physician because of generalized fatigue and malaise for 2 months. He has been unable to engage in his daily activities. Three months ago, he was treated for a urinary tract infection with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. He has hypertension, asthma, and chronic lower back pain. Current medications include hydrochlorothiazide, an albuterol inhaler, naproxen, and an aspirin-caffeine combination. Vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows conjunctival pallor. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 9.1 g/dL Leukocyte count 8,900/mm3 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 13 mm/h Serum Na+ 136 mEq/L K+ 4.8 mEq/L Cl- 102 mEq/L Urea nitrogen 41 mg/dL Glucose 70 mg/dL Creatinine 2.4 mg/dL Calcium 9.8 mg/dL Urine Protein 1+ Blood 1+ RBCs none WBCs 8–9/hpf Bacteria none Urine cultures are negative. Ultrasound shows shrunken kidneys with irregular contours and papillary calcifications. Which of the following is the most likely underlying mechanism of this patient's renal failure?