Question

A 39-year-old woman is admitted to the hospital with 1 day of abdominal pain and vomiting. Her medical history includes peptic ulcer disease, chronic constipation, and bipolar disorder. She denies any alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drug use. Physical exam is notable for epigastric tenderness. Her temperature is 101.5°F (38.6°C), blood pressure is 100/65 mmHg, pulse is 105/min, and respirations are 20/min. Abdominal CT scan is performed (Figure A). Which of the following medications was this patient most likely taking prior to admission?

a. Amoxicillin
b. Lithium
c. Pantoprazole
d. Valproic acid
e. Simvastatin

Answer 1

Given the patient's symptoms of abdominal pain and vomiting, and history of peptic ulcer disease, she was most likely taking pantoprazole, a medication for suppressing gastric acid to allow ulcer healing.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which medication a 39-year-old woman was most likely taking prior to hospital admission, given her symptoms and medical history. Considering the given symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, and epigastric tenderness, along with a history of peptic ulcer disease, one would suspect that the patient could be taking a medication like pantoprazole. Pantoprazole is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) commonly prescribed for the treatment of peptic ulcer disease to suppress gastric acid production and allow for healing of ulcers.

Simvastatin, on the other hand, is used to manage high cholesterol and is not directly related to the treatment of peptic ulcer disease or the symptoms presented. Considering the elevated temperature and signs pointing towards an issue in the gastrointestinal tract, pantoprazole is more relevant to the clinical picture described. Antibiotics or other therapies may be considered based on further findings from the CT scan and other tests, but pantoprazole is the most likely medication she was taking prior to admission.