A middle-aged man was admitted for chest pain and found to be in shock. The pain began about an hour before admission. Which of the following possible complications is least expected over the next week?
A. congestive failure
B. mural thrombosis
C. ventricular aneurysm
D. atrial fibrillation
E. fibrinous pericarditis
In a middle-aged man admitted for chest pain and found to be in shock, the least expected complication over the next week is ventricular aneurysm.
Ventricular aneurysm typically develops weeks to months after a myocardial infarction, not within the first week. The other complications—congestive heart failure, mural thrombosis, atrial fibrillation, and fibrinous pericarditis—can occur within the first week following a myocardial infarction.