🏥 USMLE Exam Prep

A 32-year-old woman, 3 days post-C-section, presents with sudden onset dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and tachycardia. Her oxygen saturation is 92% on room air. ECG shows sinus tachycardia with S1Q3T3 pattern. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate initial diagnostic test to confirm the suspected diagnosis?

A Chest X-ray
B D-dimer
C CT pulmonary angiography
D Ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan

✓ Correct Answer: Option C

Given the high clinical suspicion for pulmonary embolism (post-C-section, classic symptoms, hypoxemia, ECG findings), CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the gold standard for definitive diagnosis in hemodynamically stable patients.

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