An 84-year-old woman on metoprolol succinate 50 mg daily for…
An 84-year-old woman on metoprolol succinate 50 mg daily for hypertension is brought to the emergency department by her daughter, who reports 2 days of progressive confusion and decreased oral intake. Her baseline BP at her last office visit was 145/85 mmHg with a HR of 68 bpm. Current vital signs: BP 100/60 mmHg, HR 74 bpm, RR 22, SpO2 95% on room air, temperature 38.4°C. She is oriented only to person and has dry mucous membranes. The APRN notes that the heart rate of 74 bpm appears reassuring. Why is this finding potentially misleading in this clinical context?
Read DetailsA 72-year-old man presents 4 months after a left T4 herpes z…
A 72-year-old man presents 4 months after a left T4 herpes zoster eruption. He reports that the light touch of his shirt against the skin of his left chest wall causes severe, burning pain. He avoids wearing shirts on that side. On examination, the healed dermatome shows no erythema, vesicles, or skin breakdown. Light stroking with a cotton swab over the affected area reproduces his pain, while the same stimulus on the contralateral side is perceived as normal light touch. This clinical finding is best described as:
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