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Question 1
Correct
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Which of the following is NOT a Gram-negative rod?
Your Answer: Clostridium tetani
Explanation:Gram-positive rods include Clostridia, Listeria and diphtheroids.
Gram-negative rods include Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Yersinia, Haemohilus, Pseudomonas, Shigella, Legionella, proteus and Salmonella
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Microbiology
- Pathology
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Question 2
Incorrect
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The stomach is an organ that is divided into several important anatomical parts. These parts of the stomach have varied arterial blood supply that ensure that the whole organ receive oxygenated blood. Which of the following arteries if ligated, will not render any portion of the stomach ischaemic?
Your Answer: Hepatic
Correct Answer: Superior mesenteric
Explanation:The blood supply to the stomach is through the following arteries:
– The superior mesenteric artery supplies blood to the lower part of the duodenum, pancreas and two-thirds of the transverse colon. Thus ligation of the superior mesenteric artery would not affect the stomach.
– The right and the left gastroepiploic arteries supply the greater curvature of the stomach – along its edges.
– The short gastric artery supplies blood to the upper portion of the of the greater curvature and the fundus of the stomach.
– The gastroduodenal artery supplies blood to the distal part of the stomach (the pyloric sphincter) and the proximal end of the duodenum.
– The left gastroepiploic and the short gastric are branches of the splenic artery and therefore ligation of the splenic artery would directly affect the stomach.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Abdomen
- Anatomy
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Question 3
Correct
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What are the derivatives of the first brachial arch?
Your Answer: Gives rise to the sphenomandibular ligament
Explanation:The first brachial arch (mandibular) gives rise to the mandibular and maxillary processes. Muscles and bones of this process originate within the arch’s mesoderm. The first arch cartilage (Meckel’s) ossifies to form the incus and malleus of the middle ear. Its perichondrium gives rise to he sphenomandibular ligament and through intermembraneous ossification after the mandible forms, the rest of the cartilage disappears. Muscles of the first arch include: mylohyoid, tensor tympany and palati, temporalis, masseter and lateral pterygoids and the anterior belly of the epigastric. This first arch is supplied by the trigeminal nerve.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Embryology
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Question 4
Correct
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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a medical condition that occurs in critically ill patients, and can be triggered by events such as trauma and sepsis. Which of the following variables is most likely to be lower than normal in a patient with ARDS?
Your Answer: Lung compliance
Explanation:Acute (or Adult) respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a medical condition occurring in critically ill patients characterized by widespread inflammation in the lungs. The development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) starts with damage to the alveolar epithelium and vascular endothelium, resulting in increased permeability to plasma and inflammatory cells. These cells pass into the interstitium and alveolar space, resulting in pulmonary oedema. Damage to the surfactant-producing type II cells and the presence of protein-rich fluid in the alveolar space disrupt the production and function of pulmonary surfactant, leading to micro atelectasis and impaired gas exchange. The pathophysiological consequences of lung oedema in ARDS include a decrease in lung volumes, compliance and large intrapulmonary shunts. ARDS may be seen in the setting of pneumonia, sepsis, following trauma, multiple blood transfusions, severe burns, severe pancreatitis, near-drowning, drug reactions, or inhalation injuries.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
- Respiratory
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Question 5
Correct
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The tympanic membrane is a thin semi-transparent membrane that separates the tympanic cavity from the bottom of the external acoustic meatus. The interior of the tympanic membrane is innervated by which of the following cranial nerves?
Your Answer: Glossopharyngeal
Explanation:The glossopharyngeal nerve, known as the ninth cranial nerve (CN IX), is a mixed nerve that carries afferent sensory and efferent motor information. The glossopharyngeal nerve has five distinct general functions:
– The branchial motor (special visceral efferent), supplies the stylopharyngeus muscle.
– The visceral motor (general visceral efferent), provides parasympathetic innervation of the parotid gland via the otic ganglion.
– The visceral sensory (general visceral afferent), carries visceral sensory information from the carotid sinus and carotid body.
– The general sensory (general somatic afferent), provides general sensory information from the inner surface of the tympanic membrane, upper pharynx (GVA), and the posterior one-third of the tongue.
– The visceral afferent (special visceral afferent), provides taste sensation from the posterior one-third of the tongue, including the circumvallate papillae.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Head & Neck
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Question 6
Incorrect
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A 12-year old girl was brought to the hospital with recurrent headaches for 6 months. Her physical examination revealed no abnormality. A CT scan of the head revealed a suprasellar mass with calcifications, eroding the surrounding sella turcica. The lesion is likely to represent:
Your Answer: Astrocytoma
Correct Answer: Craniopharyngioma
Explanation:Craniopharyngiomas (also known as Rathke pouch tumours, adamantinomas or hypophyseal duct tumours) affect children mainly between the age of 5 and 10 years. It constitutes 9% of brain tumours affecting the paediatric population. These are slow-growing tumours which can also be cystic, and arise from the pituitary stalk, specifically the nests of epithelium derived from Rathke’s pouch. Histologically, this tumour shows nests of squamous epithelium which is lined on the outside by radially arranged cells. Calcium deposition is often seen with a papillary type of architecture.
ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas are rare and mostly microadenomas. Paediatric astrocytoma’s usually occur in the posterior fossa. Although null cell adenomas can cause mass effect and give rise to the described symptoms, they are not suprasellar. Prolactinomas can also show symptoms of headache and disturbances in the visual field, however they are known to be small and slow-growing.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrine
- Pathology
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Question 7
Correct
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A 27-year-old HIV patient started on an antifungal agent. Which antifungal agent that inhibits the biosynthesis of fungal ergosterol was given to the patient?
Your Answer: Ketoconazole
Explanation:Ketoconazole is a synthetic imidazole antifungal drug used primarily to treat fungal infections. It inhibits the biosynthesis of ergosterol by blocking demethylation at the C14 site of the ergosterol precursor. Amphotericin B and Nystatin impair permeability of the cell membrane. Flucytosine interferes with DNA synthesis, while the target of griseofulvin is the microtubules
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Microbiology
- Pathology
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Question 8
Correct
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An explorative laparotomy is done on a 23 year old following a gunshot abdominal injury through the right iliac fossa. It is found that the ileocolic artery is severed and the bullet had perforated the caecum. From which branch does the ileocolic artery originate?
Your Answer: Superior mesenteric artery
Explanation:Ileocolic artery branches off from the superior mesenteric artery. It then divides to give a superior and inferior branch.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Abdomen
- Anatomy
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Question 9
Correct
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A 60 year-old patient being treated for hypertension presents to the ED with swelling of the left upper limb due to poor venous return. On examination, it is found that an aneurysm of the ascending aorta is impinging on a large vein lying immediately anterosuperior to it. Which vein is it likely to be?
Your Answer: Left brachiocephalic
Explanation:Among the veins listed, only the left brachiocephalic vein is anterosuperior to the ascending aorta. The right brachiocephalic vein being on the right side would not be affected by the aortic aneurysm.
The azygos vein lies deep in the chest on the right side.
The internal thoracic vein lies interior to the anterior wall of the chest.
The left superior intercostal vein is close to the aortic arch, crossing it laterally. This vein drains the 2nd to 4th interspaces on the left side.
The Right internal jugular vein joins the right brachiocephalic vein which would not be affected by the aneurysm.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Thorax
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Question 10
Correct
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What is the likely diagnosis in a 55-year old man presenting with jaundice, weight loss, pale coloured stools and elevated alkaline phosphatase?
Your Answer: Pancreatic carcinoma
Explanation:Increased alkaline phosphatase is indicative of cholestasis, with a 4x or greater increase seen 1-2 days after biliary obstruction. Its level can remain elevated several days after the obstruction is resolved due to the long half life (7 days). Increase up to three times the normal level can be seen in hepatitis, cirrhosis, space-occupying lesions and infiltrative disorders. Raised alkaline phosphatase with other liver function tests being normal can occur in focal hepatic lesions like abscesses or tumours, or in partial/intermittent biliary obstruction. However, alkaline phosphatase has several isoenzymes, which originate in different organs, particularly bone. An isolated rise can also be seen in malignancies (bronchogenic carcinoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma), post-fatty meals (from the small intestine), in pregnancy (from the placenta), in growing children (from bone growth) and in chronic renal failure (from intestine and bone). One can differentiate between hepatic and non-hepatic cause by measurement of enzymes specific to the liver e.g. gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT).
In an elderly, asymptomatic patient, isolated rise of alkaline phosphatase usually points to bone disease (like Paget’s disease). Presence of other symptoms such as jaundice, pale stools, weight loss suggests obstructive jaundice, most probably due to pancreatic carcinoma.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal; Hepatobiliary
- Pathology
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Question 11
Correct
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A neonate with failure to pass meconium is being evaluated. His abdomen is distended and X-ray films of the abdomen show markedly dilated small bowel and colon loops. The likely diagnosis is:
Your Answer: Aganglionosis in the rectum
Explanation:Hirschsprung’s disease (also known as aganglionic megacolon) leads to colon enlargement due to bowel obstruction by an aganglionic section of bowel that starts at the anus. A blockage is created by a lack of ganglion cells needed for peristalsis that move the stool. 1 in 5000 children suffer from this disease, with boys affected four times more commonly than girls. It develops in the fetus in early stages of pregnancy. Symptoms include not having a first bowel movement (meconium) within 48 hours of birth, repeated vomiting and a swollen abdomen. Two-third of cases are diagnosed within 3 months of birth. Some children may present with delayed toilet training and some might not show symptoms till early childhood. Diagnosis is by barium enema and rectal biopsy (showing lack of ganglion cells).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastroenterology
- Physiology
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Question 12
Correct
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Which of the following is the most common germ cell tumour of the testis affecting an adult male?
Your Answer: Seminoma
Explanation:Germ cell tumours represent 90% of primary tumours arising in the testis. They are broadly divided into seminomas and non-seminomas. Seminomas are the most common testicular germ cell tumour seen in 40% cases. The other non-seminomatous histological subtypes include embryonal (25%), teratocarcinoma (25%), teratoma (5%) and pure choriocarcinoma (1%).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Pathology
- Urology
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Question 13
Incorrect
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A 7-year old child from a rural setting complains of recurrent abdominal pain. The child is found to have a heavy parasitic infestation and anaemia. Which type of anaemia is most likely seen in this patient?
Your Answer: Aplastic anaemia
Correct Answer: Iron deficiency anaemia
Explanation:The most common cause of iron deficiency anaemia in children in developing countries is parasitic infection (hookworm, amoebiasis, schistosomiasis and whipworm).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Microbiology
- Pathology
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Question 14
Incorrect
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There are several mechanisms involved in the transport of sodium ions from blood to interstitial fluid of the muscle cells. Which of the following mechanisms best describes this phenomenon?
Your Answer: Active transport through endothelial cell membranes
Correct Answer: Diffusion through channels between endothelial cells
Explanation:Capillaries are the smallest of the body’s blood vessels, measuring 5–10 μm and they help to enable the exchange of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and many other nutrients and waste substances between the blood and the tissues surrounding them. The walls of capillaries are composed of only a single layer of cells, the endothelium. Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that help to establish and control the small voltage gradient that exists across the plasma membrane of all living cells by allowing the flow of ions down their electrochemical gradient. An ion channel is an integral membrane protein or more typically an assembly of several proteins. The archetypal channel pore is just one or two atoms wide at its narrowest point. It conducts a specific ion such as sodium or potassium and conveys them through the membrane in single file.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Fluids & Electrolytes
- Physiology
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Question 15
Incorrect
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Question 16
Correct
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An ECG of a 30 year old woman revealed low voltage QRS complexes. This patient is most probably suffering from?
Your Answer: Pericardial effusion
Explanation:The QRS complex is associated with current that results in the contraction of both the ventricles. As ventricles have more muscle mass than the atria, they result in a greater deflection on the ECG. The normal duration of a QRS complex is 10s. A wide and deep Q wave depicts myocardial infarction. Abnormalities in the QRS complex maybe indicative of a bundle block, ventricular tachycardia or hypertrophy of the ventricles. Low voltage QRS complexes are characteristic of pericarditis or a pericardial effusion.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Physiology
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Question 17
Incorrect
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A 40-year old man sustained a deep laceration to the sole of his left foot. It was found that the belly of extensor digitorum muscle was lacerated and the lateral tarsal artery was severed. The lateral tarsal artery is a branch of the:
Your Answer: Posterior tibial artery
Correct Answer: Dorsalis pedis artery
Explanation:The lateral tarsal artery arises from the dorsalis pedis, as the vessel crosses the navicular bone
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Lower Limb
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Question 18
Incorrect
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Which type of thyroid tumour represents 75 - 80% of thyroid cancer cases? This type is predominant in children and in patients who have had a previous history of head or neck radiation.
Your Answer: Follicular carcinoma
Correct Answer: Papillary carcinoma
Explanation:Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common thyroid cancer. This cancer has a high cure rate with 10-year survival rates for all patients with papillary thyroid cancer estimated at 80% to 90%.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Neoplasia
- Pathology
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Question 19
Correct
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An intern is attempting to put in an arterial line in an ICU patients left foot. Which is the best site to feel for the pulsation of the dorsalis pedis artery in the foot?
Your Answer: Just lateral to the tendon of extensor hallucis longus
Explanation:The dorsalis pedis artery is the continuation of the anterior tibial artery. The pulse of the posterior tibial artery, which comes from the posterior compartment of the leg, may be felt behind the medial malleolus just lateral to the tendon of the extensor hallucis longus.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Lower Limb
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Question 20
Correct
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A recognised side-effect of prefrontal leukotomy is:
Your Answer: Confusion
Explanation:Used previously as a treatment for psychiatric disorders, prefrontal leucotomy severs the connection between the prefrontal cortical association area and the thalamus. This leads to functional isolation of the prefrontal and orbitofrontal association cortex. Thus, along with the desired reduction in anger and frustration, undesirable side effects included changes in mood and affect, as well as confusion.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Neurology
- Physiology
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
