Chief Complaint: 74-year-old woman with shortness of breath and swelling. History: Martha Wilmington, a 74-year-old woman with a...

90.2K

Verified Solution

Question

Medical Sciences

Chief Complaint: 74-year-old woman withshortness of breath and swelling.

History: Martha Wilmington, a 74-year-old womanwith a history of rheumatic fever while in her twenties, presentedto her physician with complaints of increasing shortness of breath(\"dyspnea\") upon exertion. She also noted that the typical swellingshe's had in her ankles for years has started to get worse over thepast two months, making it especially difficult to get her shoes ontoward the end of the day. In the past week, she's had a decreasedappetite, some nausea and vomiting, and tenderness in the rightupper quadrant of the abdomen.

On physical examination, Martha's jugular veins were noticeablydistended. Auscultation of the heart revealed a low-pitched,rumbling systolic murmur, heard best over the left upper sternalborder. In addition, she had an extra, \"S3\" heartsound.

Top of Form

Questions:

1. What is causing this murmur?

2. What is causing her \"S3\" heart sound?

3. Is her history of rheumatic fever relevant to her currentsymptoms? Explain.

4. A chest X-ray reveals a cardiac silhouette that is normal indiameter. Does this rule out a possible problem with Martha'sheart? Explain.

Answer & Explanation Solved by verified expert
3.9 Ratings (703 Votes)
1 The most probable diagnosis for the above patient is Mitral Regurgitation MR with Right heart failure In mitral regurgitation there is leakage of blood from left ventricle to left atrium This turbulent blood flow occurs when the left ventricular pressure increases during systole and    See Answer
Get Answers to Unlimited Questions

Join us to gain access to millions of questions and expert answers. Enjoy exclusive benefits tailored just for you!

Membership Benefits:
  • Unlimited Question Access with detailed Answers
  • Zin AI - 3 Million Words
  • 10 Dall-E 3 Images
  • 20 Plot Generations
  • Conversation with Dialogue Memory
  • No Ads, Ever!
  • Access to Our Best AI Platform: Flex AI - Your personal assistant for all your inquiries!
Become a Member

Other questions asked by students