Directions:
Try the USMLE Step 3 questions below, pick one best answer from the choices below, then check your answer by clicking on the “get answer” button to see how you did.
Question:
A 53-year-old woman comes to the acute care clinic with left lower quadrant pain worsening over the last 36 hours. She has felt febrile with some chills and her appetite is markedly decreased. Her past medical history is significant for mild hypertension and hypercholesterolemnia. Her only medication is metoprolol. Her temperature is 38.5 C (101.3 F), blood pressure is 14290 mm Hg, pulse is 102/min, and respirations are 18/min. she is in moderate tenderness over the left lower quadrant and hypoactive bowel sounds/ Rectal examination shows brown guaiac-positive stool. Laboratory studies show a hematocrit of 40%, a platelet count of 300,000/mm3, and a leukocyte count of 15,400/mm3. the most likely cause of this patient’s problem is
A. Apply a dressing to the incision site drainage
B. Begin antibiotic therapy
C. Open, drain, and pack the incision site
D. Order a chest x-ray
E. Schedule a lower extremity venous Doppler study
