A 65-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to Abdominal

question 810

Multiple Choice

A 65-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to abdominal pain and diarrhea.  Three weeks ago, he drove from Texas to Mexico for a family vacation.  Temperature is 38.3 C (101 F) , blood pressure is 115/70 mm Hg, and pulse is 98/min.  Abdominal examination shows mild, generalized tenderness with no rebound tenderness or guarding.  Leukocyte count is 14,000/mm³.  Sigmoidoscopy demonstrates white-yellow plaques on the colonic mucosa, and biopsy shows that the plaques are composed of fibrin and inflammatory cells.  Further questioning regarding this patient's trip to Mexico is most likely to reveal which of the following events?

• A)He consumed shellfish from the hotel buffet
• B)He drank unpurified tap water on several occasions
• C)He had undercooked pork at a resort barbecue
• D)He required hospitalization and antibiotics for pneumonia
• E)He took home-canned foods to consume during the trip

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Definitions:

Automatic Processing

Refers to the nonconscious encoding of incidental information such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.

The Spacing Effect

A memory phenomenon where learning is greater when studying is spread out over time, as opposed to studying the same amount of content in a single session.

Procedural Memory

A type of long-term memory responsible for knowing how to do things, also known as motor skills, involving tasks such as riding a bike or typing.

Self-Reference Effect

The tendency for individuals to more easily remember information that is personally relevant or relates to themselves.