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A 58-year-old man is complaining of chest pain. Select the question that best evaluates the quality of the patient's pain.

a) "When did the pain start?"
b) "Can you describe the pain? Is it sharp or dull?"
c) "Where is the pain located?"
d) "Have you had this type of pain before?"

User Qwebek
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The best question to evaluate the quality of the patient's chest pain is to ask him to describe the pain and whether it is sharp or dull, as this can indicate if the pain is characteristic of angina, which is associated with restricted blood flow and reduced oxygen to the heart.

Step-by-step explanation:

To assess the quality of the 58-year-old man's chest pain and to determine whether it could be angina chest pain, the best question out of the options given would be: b) "Can you describe the pain? Is it sharp or dull?" This question directly addresses the nature of the pain, which is crucial in differentiating angina from other types of chest pain.

Descriptions such as pressure, squeezing, burning sensation, or feeling of fullness are often associated with angina, which is caused by reduced blood flow and oxygen to heart muscle cells. Additionally, angina may be classified as stable or unstable, and the quality of pain can help to differentiate between the two. It's also important to be vigilant for signs of an acute myocardial infarction (MI), which can present with similar symptoms but requires immediate medical attention.

User SavedByJESUS
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