An anesthesiologist on staff at a hospital went to see a fellow doctor as a patient. He was having brief lapses of consciousness related to complex partial seizures, a form of epilepsy that had gone unrecognized during his residency. He admitted to having at least one seizure in the OR that was so brief that no one observed it. The condition was treatable but left the second doctor uncertain about whether to uphold the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship or to inform the hospital staff.

Mr. wayne is a 38-year-old man with a significant history of elevated cholesterol levels. his father died at age 42 from a massive heart attack secondary to elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, and two of his older siblings are currently taking medications to lower their cholesterol levels. mr. wayne makes an appointment to discuss his risk for hypercholesterolemia. the nurse recognizes that mr. wayne is at risk for familial hypercholesterolemia because this is an autoomal dominant inherited condition. a. describe the pattern of autosomal dominant inheritance. b. mr. wayne asks what chance his children have of developing familial hypercholesterolemia. how should the nurse respond? c. explain the phenomenon of penetrance observed in autosomal dominant inheritance.