Question

Your patient is a 72-year-old female who complains of dizziness and appears confused after being found on the floor of a garage where a car is running. As you begin your primary assessment, she has a seizure. You suspect she is experiencing:

MCQ Options:
a. Stroke
b. Syncope
c. Hypoglycemia
d. Carbon monoxide poisoning

Answer 1

The 72-year-old female patient found in a garage with a running car exhibiting symptoms of dizziness, confusion, and seizure is most likely suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Step-by-step explanation:

Your patient, a 72-year-old female who experiences dizziness, confusion, and has had a seizure after being found in a garage with the car running, is most likely experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning occurs from inhaling excessive CO levels, leading to symptoms such as headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, confusion, and in severe cases, seizures. Prompt recognition of CO poisoning is crucial as it requires immediate treatment, often involving administration of 100% oxygen or hyperbaric oxygen therapy in severe cases to displace CO from the hemoglobin in the blood.

The presence of the running car in a closed garage is a significant clue pointing to CO exposure, and her symptoms correlate with those often associated with CO poisoning. Moreover, CO exposure is a common cause of accidental poisoning, especially in enclosed spaces, and can be fatal if not identified and treated quickly.