A 40-year old male presented with chronic hypertension, headaches, palpitations and excessive diaphoresis. Urine and plasma metanephrines were elevated. What drug will you give pre-operatively in this patient prior to surgery?
Question
A 40-year old male presented with chronic hypertension, headaches, palpitations and excessive diaphoresis. Urine and plasma metanephrines were elevated. What drug will you give pre-operatively in this patient prior to surgery?
Solution
The patient's symptoms and test results suggest a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor of the adrenal glands that can cause high blood pressure and excessive sweating.
Before surgery, it's important to manage the patient's high blood pressure and prevent a hypertensive crisis during the operation. This is typically done with alpha-adrenergic blocking drugs.
Phenoxybenzamine, a non-selective alpha-blocker, is often the drug of choice. It's started 10-14 days before surgery to achieve adequate alpha-adrenergic blockade.
After alpha-blockade is achieved, a beta-blocker such as propranolol can be added if necessary to control tachycardia. It's important to note that beta-blockers should not be started before alpha-blockers, as this can lead to unopposed alpha stimulation and a hypertensive crisis.
So, in this case, the patient should be given Phenoxybenzamine pre-operatively.
Similar Questions
A 40-year old male presented with chronic hypertension, headaches, palpitations and excessive diaphoresis. Urine and plasma metanephrines were elevated. What is your primary impression?
A 44-year-old woman maintained on Irbesartan and Terbutaline was noted to have blood pressure elevations for the past two weeks. What drug would you avoid in this patient?*1 pointAtenololBisoprololCeliprololPropanololNebivolol
A 52-year-old male is diagnosed with primary hypertension. He could be treated with a drug that acts by which of the following mechanisms?Group of answer choicesangiotensin ll agonistcalcium channel agonistbeta-adrenergic agonistdiuretic
The nurse is caring for a client who has nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Which of the following medications should the nurse expect to be prescribed for the client?A. PrednisoneB. HydrochlorothiazideC. VerapamilD. Lithium
The nurse is caring for a client who is receiving newly prescribed prednisone. Which of the following medications should the client avoid while receiving this medication?A. valsartanB. naproxenC. omeprazoleD. acetaminophen
Upgrade your grade with Knowee
Get personalized homework help. Review tough concepts in more detail, or go deeper into your topic by exploring other relevant questions.