Tutor profile: Malerie M.

Which food should a patient avoid when on Atorvastatin (used to treat high cholesterol)? A) Poultry B) Leafy green vegetables C) Grapefruit D) Potatoes

C) Grapefruit Consuming large amounts of grapefruit can reduce your body's ability to breakdown Atorvastatin, leading to a higher level of the drug within the bloodstream.

A patient is being worked up for possible new-onset congestive heart failure (CHF) after experiencing weeks of bilateral lower extremity edema and increased shortness of breath when walking her dog. She is about to have a series of labs drawn. Which lab test is most indicative towards a possible CHF diagnosis? A) WBC B) B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) C) Platelets D) Creatinine

B) B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) BNP is a hormone produced within the ventricles heart, that release when there is stress on the heart. In someone with CHF, their BNP is expected to be elevated.

How do the chambers of the heart function?

The basic function of the heart is to pump poorly oxygenated blood from the right side of the heart (from the left atrium to left ventricle via the "tricuspid" valve) and into the lungs, where it becomes oxygenated. From there, the oxygenated blood enters the left side of the heart (again from the atrium to ventricle, via another valve known as the "bicuspid" valve), where it is then pumped into the body.