After a full medical workup, it is determined that G.G.'s condition is stable. His shortness of breath and anxiety resolve after he is given lorazepam (ativan) 1 mg IV push (IVP)

Question

the lab work and eCG results are all
within normal parameters and there is no evidence of any physical disorder. adiagnosis of panic attack is
made. G.G. admits to having had three similar episodes in the past 2 weeks; however, they were not nearly
as severe or long-lasting.

How do you think this diagnosis was determined?

G.G. asks whether there is something wrong with his memory because he has been having
trouble remembering things. What effect does panic disorder have on memory?

Answer 1

• The patient did not have elevated cardiac enzymes.
• Chest pain and tightness subsided without nitrates or pain medications.
• Shortness of breath resolved after administration of lorazepam 1 mg IVP.
• Patient laboratory values were all within normal limits.
• Patient responded favorably to an anxiolytic.

Anxiety tends to interfere with attention, so the first stage of memory, encoding, might not occur.
When events are not encoded, they are not available in memory for later recall.