A 14-Year-Old Boy Is Brought to the Emergency Department by a Teacher

question 161

Multiple Choice

A 14-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department by a teacher after being found staggering and falling on the ground in the school parking lot between classes.  When she found him, the patient seemed lethargic and disoriented and his speech was slurred.  His condition slowly improved over the next 30 minutes; when the patient is evaluated in the emergency department an hour after the teacher found him, he is alert, oriented, and able to speak clearly.  Temperature is 36.7 C (98.1 F) , blood pressure is 102/65 mm Hg, and pulse is 62/min.  On physical examination, there are abrasions on the right forearm and shin and a rash around the nostrils and mouth.  The patient has no known medical history.  Which of the following substances is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

• A)Alcohol
• B)Benzodiazepines
• C)Cocaine
• D)Inhalants
• E)Opiates
• F)Phencyclidine

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Definitions:

Multicultural

Relating to, or representing several different cultures or cultural elements.

Utilitarianism

A moral philosophy that advocates for actions that maximize happiness and well-being for the majority.

Rawls

A philosopher best known for his theory of justice as fairness, which emphasizes principles of equality and liberty in organizing society.

Kant

Refers to Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century German philosopher known for his work in epistemology, ethics, and metaphysics, emphasizing duty, moral law, and the categorical imperative.