Question

Your patient is a 52 year old woman whom neighbors found behaving oddly. She seems fatigued as well as confused, and her speech is slurred. You note she is able to breathe on her own and you can feel her pulse. Her skin is not only cool but mottled. When you take her vital signs, you note that her pulse is 68 bpm, and respirations 14 per minute. Her blood pressure is 108/60 mmHg while her temperature is 92.7 degrees F. You find no trauma signs. She has prescriptions for some medications in the house, namely Verapamil and digoxin, as well as Synthroid and also nitroglycerin. In the meantime, the apartment she is in has a temperature of 55 degrees F. Considering all those findings, which of the conditions listed below is most probable to have led to this patients health condition?

A) Hypothyroidism
B) Atrial fibrillation
C) Hypertension
D) Seizure

Answer 1

The most probable condition leading to the patient's symptoms, given her presentation and medications, is Hypothyroidism. This condition can cause low body temperature, confusion, and fatigue, which the patient exhibits.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient is a 52-year-old woman presenting with fatigue, confusion, slurred speech, cool and mottled skin, and a temperature of 92.7 degrees F.

Given this patient's symptoms and her medications, which include Verapamil, digoxin, Synthroid, and nitroglycerin, the most probable condition leading to her health status is Hypothyroidism (A). Hypothyroidism can result in a low body temperature, fatigue, and confusion.

Her heart rate and blood pressure are within normal limits but on the lower end, which can be consistent with the bradycardia and hypotension seen in hypothyroidism. The patient's prescriptions suggest a history of cardiac issues and thyroid dysfunction, and the low body temperature can be related directly to hypothyroidism, further supported by the cold apartment temperature.