Your patient is an 82-year-old woman whose daughter called E…

Your patient is an 82-year-old woman whose daughter called EMS because the patient became very short of breath as they walked from their parking spot to the front of their church. On your arrival, the patient states that she just needed a little rest and now feels much better. On questioning, she admits to several such episodes in the past month. She denies chest pain and she says, “I just got winded because I’m getting so old.” The patient has a heart rate of 104, a respiratory rate of 20, and blood pressure of 172/90 mmHg. Your history and physical examination should focus on which of the following possibilities?

Your patient is a 14 month-old girl who has been taking an a…

Your patient is a 14 month-old girl who has been taking an antibiotic for three days for an ear infection. Her parents have called EMS because the patient has not been eating or drinking, is irritable, has a fever, and generally appears very sick. Which of the following should you most highly suspect?

Your patient is an 18-year-old woman who is alert and in mod…

Your patient is an 18-year-old woman who is alert and in moderate distress, complaining of abdominal pain and light-headedness. She describes a four-week history of worsening unilateral lower quadrant abdominal pain with onset of malaise, nausea, and vomiting this week. Today, she is experiencing faintness and near-syncope with exertion. She denies pain or difficulty with urination. Her last menstrual period was two weeks ago. She is sexually active and uses oral contraceptives. Physical examination reveals marked tenderness and guarding with palpation of her abdomen. Her skin is cool and diaphoretic. Her vital signs are: heart rate 121, blood pressure 90/58 mmHg, respirations 18. The patient’s presentation is most consistent with:

A 38-year-old pregnant woman called 911 after she developed…

A 38-year-old pregnant woman called 911 after she developed a “splitting headache” unrelieved by over-the-counter analgesics. She states that she has a previous diagnosis of diabetes that is typically well controlled with insulin injections. This patient’s history of diabetes makes her more likely to develop which of the following pregnancy-related conditions?

A 24-year-old pregnant woman is actively seizing. Her partne…

A 24-year-old pregnant woman is actively seizing. Her partner reports that she complained of abdominal pain approximately 10 minutes ago, and then began seizing. He reports that the seizure activity has been consistent for the past 10 minutes, and that she has no significant medical history. You should:

Your patient is a seven-month-old boy whose mother called be…

Your patient is a seven-month-old boy whose mother called because he suddenly became lethargic and pale. Your assessment reveals that he is in a supraventricular tachycardia at a rate of 244 per minute. The patient’s extremities are mottled and his capillary refill time is 4 seconds. Which of the following is the best treatment plan for this patient?

You are in the home of a 28-month-old boy whose mother calle…

You are in the home of a 28-month-old boy whose mother called EMS because he fell while running and struck his forehead on the corner of a table. The patient has a hematoma on his forehead but seems to have forgotten about the injury and is entertaining himself with some building blocks. Which of the following is the best way to begin assessing the child?