A 58-year-old man presents to the emergency department for evaluation following a 30-minute episode of left hand weakness. During the episode, the patient was unable to pick anything up with his left hand. He was able to lift his arm during the incident. He denies any difficulty with
ambulation or speaking during the episode. The patient has a past medical history of uncontrolled
hypertension and
type 2 diabetes mellitus. He has a 20-pack-year history of
smoking cigarettes. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F),
pulse is 101/min and irregularly irregular, and
blood pressure is 196/98 mmHg. The patient’s
pulse oximetry is 99% on room air. He is alert and oriented, with fluent, clear speech. Motor strength is normal in all extremities, and there are no focal deficits appreciated. Non-contrast CT-brain does not demonstrate an acute intracranial process. CT angiogram of the
head and neck demonstrates diffuse calcific
atherosclerosis. Without appropriate medical treatment, which of the following adverse events is this patient most likely to sustain?
