Pulmonary Embolism USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 42-year-old woman with a 3-week history of oral contraceptive use presents with acute onset dyspnea, right-sided pleuritic chest pain, and tachycardia. Arterial blood gas shows pH 7.48, PaCO2 32 mmHg, PaO2 68 mmHg on room air. Chest X-ray is normal. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer choices
- APulmonary embolismCorrect answer
- BPneumothorax
- CPulmonary hypertension
- DSpontaneous bacterial peritonitis
- EAcute coronary syndrome
- FAcute interstitial pneumonia
See the full explanation
Get the correct-answer rationale, why each distractor is wrong, the underlying mechanism, and high-yield associations — plus adaptive practice that targets your weak areas — with a free MedBoardPRO account.