A 69-Year-Old Man Comes to the Clinic Due to a Squeezing

question 793

Multiple Choice

A 69-year-old man comes to the clinic due to a squeezing pressure in his midline chest and neck that occurs when walking.  He has a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus.  The patient is an ex-smoker with a 20-pack-year history.  Coronary angiography shows extensive atherosclerosis and near-total occlusion of the left anterior descending artery.  Further testing shows normal resting left ventricular ejection fraction with no regional wall motion abnormalities.  The absence of myocardial necrosis and scarring despite vessel occlusion in this patient can be best explained by which of the following features of the occluding plaque?

• A)Active peripheral inflammation
• B)Lipid-rich core
• C)Low calcium content
• D)Ostial location
• E)Slow growth rate
• F)Thin fibrous cap

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Definitions:

Tracheotomy

A surgically made opening in the trachea through which a person will breathe.

Intubation

The insertion of a tube into a patient's airway to maintain an open airway or administer certain drugs.

Conchae

Curved shelves of bone located inside the nasal cavity that increase its surface area for the purpose of warming, moisturizing, and filtering the air breathed in through the nose.

Yawning

An involuntary action involving a deep inhalation followed by a wider opening of the mouth, often due to tiredness or boredom.