08/11/2022
Kaplan USMLE Step 1: Do cardiovascular function curves stump you?
The graph shows two sets of cardiovascular function curves. The solid lines describe the cardiovascular performance of a 60-year-old man, with point "N" indicating normal resting conditions. The two broken lines describe cardiovascular performance in the same man six months after he suffered a myocardial infarction. Auscultation of his chest reveals moderate rales bilaterally.
He takes daily walks as recommended by his cardiologist, but he tires easily and coughs excessively whenever he attempts to walk rapidly. His resting cardiac output is now 4.5 L per minute.
Which of the following is most likely his right atrial pressure at rest?
A. 0 mm Hg.
B. 1 mm Hg.
C. 4 mm Hg.
D. 7 mm Hg.
E. 9 mm Hg.
F. 11 mm Hg.
Click on the link below to learn about the answer:
American Medical Association. (n.d.). Kaplan USMLE Step 1: Do cardiovascular function curves stump you? [online] Available at: https://www.ama-assn.org/medical-students/usmle-step-1-2/kaplan-usmle-step-1-do-cardiovascular-function-curves-stump-you [Accessed 8 Nov. 2022].
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