Audio Qbank – HY USMLE Q #398 – Cardio / Internal medicine

A 70-year-old man is brought to emergency because of a 2-month history of progressive shortness of breath and fatigue. Vitals are: temperature 98.6 F, HR 100, RR 20, BP 130/80. Examination shows jugular venous distention and crackles in both lung fields. A 2/6 ejection murmur is auscultated at the left sternal border. There is an S3 heart sound. Rectal examination shows dark stool; occult blood is positive. Serum studies are as follows:

Hemoglobin                                     6 g/dL
WBC                                                    8000/μL
HCO3                                                24 mEq/L

Chest x-ray shows an enlarged cardiac silhouette with pulmonary vascular congestion. Ejection fraction is 70%. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these findings?

Aortic stenosis with angiodysplasia
Diastolic dysfunction
High-output cardiac failure
Rupturing abdominal aortic aneurysm
Systolic dysfunction