Cardiovascular System Disorders Flashcards
7 cards from real Physician Assistant practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Cardiovascular System Disorders flashcards as text
A 45-year-old man presents with sudden severe tearing chest pain radiating to the back. BP is 180/100 in the right arm and 140/80 in the left arm. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer: Aortic dissection
Asymmetric blood pressures combined with tearing back pain are classic for aortic dissection.
Which medication is contraindicated in a patient with decompensated heart failure and an ejection fraction of 20%?
Answer: Carvedilol initiated at low dose
Beta-blockers should not be started during decompensated HF; they should only be initiated once the patient is stabilized.
A patient with known HFrEF reports dizziness after starting a new medication. Potassium is 5.9 mEq/L and creatinine has risen. Which drug is most likely responsible?
Answer: Spironolactone
Spironolactone, a potassium-sparing aldosterone antagonist, commonly causes hyperkalemia and can worsen renal function.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome involves which anatomical abnormality?
Answer: Accessory conduction pathway (Bundle of Kent) bypassing the AV node
WPW is caused by an accessory pathway (Bundle of Kent) that bypasses the AV node, allowing pre-excitation of the ventricles.
Which of the following ECG changes is MOST specific for hyperkalemia?
Answer: Peaked T waves
Peaked, narrow, symmetrical T waves are the earliest and most characteristic ECG finding in hyperkalemia.
A patient with mitral stenosis is most at risk for which complication?
Answer: Atrial fibrillation and systemic embolism
Mitral stenosis causes left atrial enlargement, predisposing to atrial fibrillation and thrombus formation with embolic risk.
A 65-year-old woman with diabetes presents with fatigue and jaw pain during exertion but denies chest pain. Troponin is elevated. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer: Acute coronary syndrome
Diabetic patients often have atypical ACS presentations (jaw pain, fatigue) due to autonomic neuropathy masking classic chest pain.