A 62-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus comes to the physician for a routine health maintenance examination. She has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes daily for the last 15 years. Current medications include glyburide and amlodipine. The physician prescribes a medication that decreases the production of mevalonate. Which of the following changes to the serum is most likely to develop as an adverse effect of the prescribed drug?

A 22-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 10 minutes after falling down a flight of stairs. An x-ray of the right wrist shows a distal radius fracture. A rapidly acting intravenous anesthetic agent is administered, and closed reduction of the fracture is performed. Following the procedure, the patient reports palpitations and says that he experienced an “extremely vivid dream,” in which he felt disconnected from himself and his surroundings while under anesthesia. His pulse is 110/min and blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg. The patient was most likely administered a drug that predominantly blocks the effects of which of the following neurotransmitters?

A 17-year-old girl is brought to the physician by her mother for the evaluation of irregular menstrual bleeding. Menses have occurred at 60- to 90-day intervals since menarche at the age of 12 years. Her last menstrual period was 4 weeks ago. She is sexually active with one male partner, and they use condoms consistently. She reports that she currently has no desire to have children. She is 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall and weighs 85 kg (187 lb); BMI is 31 kg/m2. Examination shows scattered pustules on the forehead and oily skin. There is coarse hair on the chin and upper lip. Fingerstick blood glucose concentration is 190 mg/dL. A urine pregnancy test is negative. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy?

A research group wants to assess the safety and toxicity profile of a new drug. A clinical trial is conducted with 20 volunteers to estimate the maximum tolerated dose and monitor the apparent toxicity of the drug. The study design is best described as which of the following phases of a clinical trial?

A 55-year-old woman comes to the physician because of involuntary hand movements that improve with alcohol consumption. Physical examination shows bilateral hand tremors that worsen when the patient is asked to extend her arms out in front of her. The physician prescribes a medication that is associated with an increased risk of bronchospasms. This drug has which of the following immediate effects on the cardiovascular system?

A 61-year-old man comes to the emergency department because of a 2-day history of a productive cough and worsening shortness of breath. He has had frequent episodes of a productive cough over the past 3 years. He had smoked 2 packs of cigarettes daily for 30 years but quit 1 year ago. He appears distressed. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 91%. Chest auscultation reveals diffuse wheezes and coarse crackles. A chest x-ray shows increased lung lucency bilaterally and flattening of the diaphragm. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial pharmacotherapy?

A 33-year-old woman comes to the emergency department for the evaluation of a headache and increased sweating for the last two hours. The patient also reports palpitations and nausea. Yesterday, she was started on venlafaxine for treatment-resistant depression. She took citalopram for four weeks, but stopped three days ago because her symptoms of depression did not improve. She does not smoke or drink alcohol. Her temperature is 39°C (102.2°F), pulse is 120/min, and blood pressure is 150/90 mm Hg. On mental status examination, the patient is only oriented to person, but not to place or time. Examination shows tremors in all extremities. She has impaired gait. Deep tendon reflexes are 3+ bilaterally. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

An 81-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by staff of an assisted living facility where he resides with fever and a cough that produces yellow-green sputum. His temperature is 39.1°C (102.3°F). Physical examination shows diffuse crackles over the right lung fields. An x-ray of the chest shows consolidation in the right lower lobe. Sputum cultures grow an organism that produces blue-green pigments and smells of sweet grapes. Treatment with piperacillin and a second agent is begun. Which of the following is the most likely mechanism of action of the second agent?

A 30-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department by her neighbor 8 hours after she found her wandering in the street. Her neighbor says, “I've seen her like this before, but I don't think it's ever lasted this long.” The patient's medical history is unknown. On arrival, she is agitated, and there is evidence of auditory hallucinations. Temperature is 40.0°C (104.0°F), pulse is 135/min, and blood pressure is 153/94 mm Hg. She appears disheveled and is not oriented to person, place, or time. Examination shows dilated pupils, moist skin, and cold hands. During an attempted cardiopulmonary examination, the patient becomes combative and assaults several emergency department staff. Results of toxicology screening are pending. Which of the following substances is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

A 36-year-old man comes to the physician because of progressive fatigue and night sweats for 2 months. During this time, he has also had a 10-kg (22-lb) weight loss. Physical examination shows painless swelling of the cervical, axillary, and inguinal lymph nodes. Examination of the abdomen shows hepatosplenomegaly. Histologic examination of a lymph node biopsy specimen shows Reed-Sternberg cells. A diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma is made. The patient is started on a chemotherapeutic regimen that includes bleomycin. The mechanism of action of this drug is most similar to that of which of the following?

A 23-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department 30 minutes after being found unresponsive on the floor by her boyfriend. Paramedics found several empty pill bottles next to her on the floor. According to her boyfriend, she has a history of insomnia and generalized anxiety disorder and was recently diagnosed with depression. Her temperature is 36°C (96.8°F), pulse is 64/min, respirations are 10/min and shallow, and blood pressure is 112/75 mm Hg. On examination, she does not open her eyes, makes incomprehensible sounds, and extends her extremities when a painful stimulus is applied. Her pupils are 3 mm and reactive to light. The corneal reflex is normal and gag reflex is absent. There is diffuse hypotonia and decreased deep tendon reflexes. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. She is intubated for airway protection. Mechanical ventilation and an infusion of 0.9% saline are begun. Which of the following would most likely reverse this patient's condition?