A 58-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to Sudden

question 520

Multiple Choice

A 58-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to sudden right-sided weakness.  He has no sensory loss, problems speaking/swallowing, or difficulty with balance.  The patient was previously told that he has elevated blood pressure, but he does not routinely follow up with his physician.  He takes no medications.  Examination shows intact cranial nerves and sensory function.  The patient has 3/5 muscle strength on the right side.  Initial CT scan without contrast reveals no abnormalities.  Four weeks later, repeat brain imaging shows a 9-mm, fluid-filled cavitary lesion in the left internal capsule.  This patient's condition is most likely caused by which of the following?

• A)Cardiac embolism
• B)Carotid artery atherosclerosis
• C)Hypertensive arteriolar sclerosis
• D)Hypertensive encephalopathy
• E)Hypoxic encephalopathy
• F)Saccular aneurysm

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Definitions:

Smaller Sample

A subset of a population that contains fewer observations, which may affect the reliability of statistical conclusions.

Generalize

The process of applying the findings from a sample to a broader population, implying that the results have wider applicability beyond the original study conditions.

Nondirectional Test

A hypothesis that does not predict the direction of the difference or association between variables, only that there is a difference.

One-Tailed Test

A statistical test that determines the probability of the observed data under the assumption that one end of the probability distribution is scrutinized.