The Blood Pressure Mystery Reading Guide

This article is written by a doctor on a medical case. As you read the article, fill in the patient’s chart given below:

Intake Information:

Patient’s Name: ___________________________

Symptoms: _______________________________

Blood Pressure____________________________

Previous Surgery __________________________

Patient Behavior ___________________________

Initial Diagnosis: __________________________

What causes this physical problem? ________________________

What risk factors did the patient have for this diagnosis? __________________

Why did the doctor decide that this diagnosis was wrong? ___________________

Second Diagnosis: ___________________________

What causes this physical problem? ________________________

What instrument did the doctor use to verify this diagnosis?____________________

What place on the patient’s body did the doctor use the instrument on? ______________

Why did the doctor check this area of the body?__________________________

What was the result of the ultrasound?________________________________

Why did the doctors expect the patient to have abdominal pain? ____________________

Why didn’t the patient have pain? ____________________________________________

Important Decision: PE or torn stomach?

What does PE stand for? ____________________________________________

“Anticoagulate” means to give medications that prevent blood from clotting. Why would this treat PE?____________________________________________

Why would it be extremely dangerous to have surgery then be given anticoagulation drugs? ______________________________________________

Why did the doctors want to run a CT scan on Mr. Dexter? _________________

__________________________________________________________

Why couldn’t they run the CT scan? __________________________________

Why did the doctors run an echocardiogram? ___________________________

What happened to Mr. Dexter’s blood pressure after the echocardiogram? ___________________________________

What did the doctors find on the CT scan? _____________________________

Final Diagnosis ________________________________

What is an aneurysm? _____________________________________________

Where was Mr. Dexter’s aneurysm located? ___________________________

Where is the spleen located? ________________________________________

What does it do? _________________________________________________

How did the doctors treat the aneurysm? ______________________________