Pulmonary Embolism USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 32-year-old woman taking oral contraceptive pills presents with acute dyspnea, chest pain, and tachycardia. Vital signs: BP 128/82 mmHg, HR 110 bpm, RR 22/min, SpO2 94% on room air, temperature 37.2°C. She smokes 10 cigarettes daily. D-dimer is elevated at 850 ng/mL (normal <500). CT angiography demonstrates bilateral segmental pulmonary emboli. Physical examination reveals no unilateral leg swelling. Which risk factor most directly contributed to this patient's pulmonary embolism?
Answer choices
- AYoung age
- BOral contraceptive pill useCorrect answer
- CBilateral distribution of emboli
- DCigarette smoking
- EFemale sex
- FElevated D-dimer level
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