ACCS Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Test Preparation Guide

For a patient presenting with cardiomegaly who has normal complete blood count (CBC) results, aggressive diuretics should be considered as the initial treatment. Cardiomegaly often indicates some form of heart failure or fluid overload, where excessive fluid in the body can lead to increased pressure and deterioration of cardiac function.

Aggressive diuretics help reduce the volume of circulating fluid by promoting urine production, thus decreasing the workload on the heart and mitigating symptoms associated with fluid overload, such as edema and shortness of breath. This can provide symptomatic relief and improve heart function.

While other treatments such as hospitalization and fluid resuscitation may be necessary depending on the patient's overall condition and clinical judgement, and surgical referral could be relevant for structural issues, they are not the immediate or first-line treatments for managing the symptoms associated with fluid overload that likely accompanies cardiomegaly. Starting with diuretics permits rapid intervention to stabilize the patient's condition, enhancing their overall management and paving the way for any additional required treatments.