Question

A 49-year-old man presents with mental status changes and fever. Brain CT scan is normal. His urine toxicology screen is negative. Laboratory findings show a serum sodium of 137 mEq/L, serum potassium of 5.1 mEq/L, serum creatinine of 1.9 mg/dL, WBC of 9,000/L, hemoglobin of 9.3 g/dL, and platelets of 19,000/L. Which of the following would you expect to see on skin examination?

A) Acanthosis nigricans
B) Erythromelalgia
C) No abnormalities
D) Purpura

Answer 1

The skin examination would likely reveal purpura, which are small purple or red spots caused by bleeding underneath the skin.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the given information, the patient has a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) and a low hemoglobin level (anemia). These findings suggest that the patient may have a bleeding disorder. One possible manifestation of this bleeding disorder on skin examination would be purpura, which is characterized by small purple or red spots on the skin caused by bleeding underneath.