An 82-year-old female presents to the emergency department with epigastric pain and weakness. She admits to having dark, tarry stools for the last few days. She reports a long history of pain due to osteoarthritis. She self-medicates daily with ibuprofen, naprosyn, and aspirin for joint pain. On physical examination, she has orthostatic hypotension and pallor. Fecal occult blood test is positive. A likely etiology of the patient's problem is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms of epigastric pain, weakness, dark tarry stools (melena), and a positive fecal occult blood test, combined with her history of chronic use of NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naprosyn) and aspirin, strongly suggest a gastric ulcer as the likely etiology of her problem. NSAIDs and aspirin can cause gastric mucosal damage leading to ulcers.

An 82-Year-Old Female Presents to the Emergency Department with Epigastric