A 34-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department with Fatigue

question 303

Multiple Choice

A 34-year-old man comes to the emergency department with fatigue and lightheadedness.  The patient had an upper respiratory infection last week, and since then his energy level has been low with shortness of breath on mild exertion.  Otherwise, his medical history is insignificant.  He is a lifetime nonsmoker.  The patient's temperature is 37 C (98.6 F) , blood pressure is 80/60 mm Hg, and pulse is 120/min and regular.  His pulse becomes undetectable to palpation during inspiration.  The lungs are clear to auscultation, but the jugular veins are distended.  Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

• A)Acute myocardial infarction
• B)Acute viral myocarditis
• C)Cardiac tamponade
• D)Constrictive pericarditis
• E)Septic shock
• F)Tension pneumothorax

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Definitions:

Cohort Effects

Also called history-graded events, they are events that provide a context for development and also influence it directly. The year of your birth marks your entry into a cohort of peers who accompany you through age-graded developmental changes within the context of a specific set of historical events.

Life-Course Perspective

The view that development is influenced by the intersection of chronological age (life time), family-related (family time), and membership in a birth cohort (historical time).

Developmental Influences

Various factors that impact an individual's growth and maturation across the lifespan, including genetic, environmental, and societal elements.

Historical Events

Significant occurrences in the past that have contributed to the shaping of societies, cultures, and the world at large.