A 55-Year-Old Homeless Man Comes to the Emergency Department with Muscle

question 424

Multiple Choice

A 55-year-old homeless man comes to the emergency department with muscle cramps and perioral numbness.  The patient appears malnourished and says that he has consumed a lot of alcohol recently.  His past medical history is significant for chronic-recurrent abdominal pain for which he was advised to quit drinking alcohol.  His temperature is 36.7 C (98 F) , blood pressure is 110/65 mm Hg, pulse is 80/min, and respirations are 18/min.  Examination shows a regular heart rate and clear lung fields.  The abdomen is soft without significant tenderness.  There are normoactive bowel sounds.  Laboratory studies are as follows: Which of the following is the most probable cause of the hypocalcemia observed in this patient?

• A)Extracellular calcium deposition
• B)Hypoalbuminemia
• C)Hypomagnesemia
• D)Hypophosphatemia
• E)Resistance to parathyroid hormone

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Definitions:

Return On Investment

A measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment, calculated by dividing the net profit by the cost of the investment.

Discount Rate

The interest rate charged to commercial banks and other financial institutions for loans received from the central bank or the rate used in discounted cash flow analysis to determine the present value of future cash flows.