A 55-Year-Old Woman with Advanced Metastatic Breast Cancer Comes to the Emergency

question 115

Multiple Choice

A 55-year-old woman with advanced metastatic breast cancer comes to the emergency department for evaluation of dyspnea and tachycardia.  The resident evaluates the patient and orders an echocardiogram, which confirms the presence of a pericardial effusion.  The surgery team is consulted, and the surgical attending informs the patient that a pericardiocentesis is necessary.  The attending surgeon then receives an urgent page and asks the resident to obtain informed consent for the procedure.  The surgery resident has neither observed nor performed a pericardiocentesis but has recently read an article about malignant pericardial effusions.  Which of the following is the most appropriate course of action by the resident?

• A)Ask an attending in the emergency department to assist with the informed consent discussion
• B)Ask the attending surgeon to obtain informed consent for the procedure
• C)Give the patient time to carefully read the consent form and return with a witness to obtain her signature
• D)Obtain the patient's signature and assure her the surgeon can answer questions before the procedure
• E)Research the procedure thoroughly and then obtain informed consent for the procedure

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Definitions:

Ages Of 44 And 72

Refers to a specific period in the human lifespan, often associated with the stage of middle adulthood and the transitions leading into late adulthood.

Reported Frequency

Refers to the number of times an event or behavior is observed or mentioned over a specified period.

Triangular Theory

Often associated with Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love, which describes love in terms of three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment.

Arranged Marriage

A marital union where the bride and groom are selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, often by family members.