A 35-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of a 3-day history of pain in the left cheek. The pain occurs every few hours, lasts 30-60 seconds, and is aggravated by chewing and brushing her teeth. She has a history of pain with a vesicular rash in the right axillary area 1 year ago. She had an upper respiratory infection 2 weeks ago. Family history is unremarkable. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. The patient is started on a single drug therapy. On a follow-up visit 3 months later, She reports symptom improvement but is found to have the following blood counts: Which of the following is the most likely mechanism of action of the drug used in this patient?

Question

A 35-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of a 3-day history of pain in the left cheek. The pain occurs every few hours, lasts 30-60 seconds, and is aggravated by chewing and brushing her teeth. She has a history of pain with a vesicular rash in the right axillary area 1 year ago. She had an upper respiratory infection 2 weeks ago. Family history is unremarkable. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. The patient is started on a single drug therapy.  On a follow-up visit 3 months later, She reports symptom improvement but is found to have the following blood counts:  Which of the following is the most likely mechanism of action of the drug used in this patient?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: The first-line treatment for trigeminal neuralgia is carbamazepine, a medication that inhibits neuronal high-frequency firing by blocking sodium channels.  Carbamazepine can cause bone marrow suppression; therefore, complete blood cell counts should be monitored periodically.

A 35-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Emergency Department Because of a 3-Day