[Verified Answer]: Patient RJ, a 50 year old Caucasian male…

Patient RJ, a 50 year old Caucasian male with a history of hypertension, morbid obesity and hypercholesterolemia, presents to a local emergency department after a 10 minute history of right upper extremity paralysis, right sided facial drooping, and slurred speech. The patient was reportedly watching television when his wife noticed that his speech suddenly became slurred, and his right arm dropped suddenly. He denies headache, visual changes, or loss of consciousness. Past Medical History: Hypertension (poorly controlled) Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Hyperlipidemia Smoker (1 pack/day for 40 years) Medications: Lisinopril 10 mg daily Metformin 1000 mg BID Atorvastatin 40 mg daily 1.) What are some possible etiologies of his clinical presentation based on his history? 2) Prior to initiating pharmacotherapy for his condition, what should be performed first? Why? 3) Given the time frame of his presentation, what are some possible options for intervention (in addition to antiplatelet therapy)? 4) His symptoms resolve within less than 1 hour, and there are no pathologic findings on CT or MRI of the brain. He asks whether he should continue antiplatelet therapy as an outpatient. What is your final diagnosis, and how would you approach the decision to continue antiplatelet therapy vs discontinuation?