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Question 1
Incorrect
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A 25-year-old man is complaining of respiratory distress and chest pain. Examination reveals distention of neck veins, hypotension, and tachycardia. His breathing sounds on the left side are diminished and absent on the right side. The trachea is also deviated to the left side. What is the next appropriate immediate management?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Right needle thoracostomy
Explanation:The patient history suggests a tension pneumothorax which is a life-threatening situation in which excess air is introduced into the pleural space surrounding the lung. When there is a significant amount of air trapped in the pleural cavity, the increasing pressure from this abnormal air causes the lung to shrink and collapse, leading to respiratory distress. This pressure also pushes the mediastinum (including the heart and great vessels) away from its central position, e.g. deviated trachea, and diminishing the cardiac output. Tension pneumothoraxes cause chest pain, extreme shortness of breath, respiratory failure, hypoxia, tachycardia, and hypotension. These are definitively managed by insertion of a chest tube. However, in the emergency setting temporizing measures are needed while chest tube materials are being gathered. In these situations, urgent needle thoracostomy (also called needle decompression) is performed.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Respiratory
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Question 2
Incorrect
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A 30 year old female with schizophrenia has a poor compliance with oral drugs. Which of the following is the best long term management for her?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Depot (Risperidone)
Explanation:Antipsychotics in depot preparations are best for the long term management. Depot Risperidone is the suitable answer from the given answers.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Mental Health
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Question 3
Incorrect
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A 6 year old boy presents with a history of repeated respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections since birth. His birth was, however, uncomplicated. His mother claims that he's not growing as he should for his age. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Cystic fibrosis
Explanation:Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that interferes with the normal development of the child. It manifests with recurrent episodes of pneumonia accompanied by coughing, wheezing and dyspnoea. The appetite is normal but weight gain seems difficult. This condition also affects bowel habits with repeated gastrointestinal infections. The gold standard for the diagnosis is considered the sweat test which reveals abnormally high levels of Cl-.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Child Health
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Question 4
Incorrect
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From the following options, choose the one which is most characteristic of early Alzheimer's disease.
Your Answer:
Correct Answer:
Explanation:Alzheimer’s disease is most often characterized early on by short-term memory loss. The other options in this list are characteristic of the following: normal pressure hydrocephalus (gait ataxia and urinary incontinence); Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (myoclonic jerks); delirium or Lewy body dementia (visual hallucinations).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Mental Health
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Question 5
Incorrect
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A 39 year old woman with a history of rheumatoid arthritis has recently been switched from methotrexate to leflunomide. Monitoring of full blood count and LFTs has been carried out. Which of the following parameters should also be monitored in this case?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Blood pressure
Explanation:Blood pressure should be routinely measured as leflunomide may cause hypertension and thus an increase in BP. It doesn’t cause changes in blood sugar levels, peak expiratory flow rate or haematuria.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 6
Incorrect
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A 56 year old, postmenopausal female complains of vaginal bleeding. Transvaginal ultrasound is done which reveals the thickness of endometrium to be 10mm. Which further investigation would be most appropriate in this case?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Hysteroscopy and D&C
Explanation:Endometrial hyperplasia most often is caused by excess oestrogen without progesterone. If ovulation does not occur, progesterone is not made, and the lining is not shed. The endometrium may continue to grow in response to oestrogen. The cells that make up the lining may crowd together and may become abnormal. This condition, called hyperplasia, may lead to cancer in some women. Endometrial hyperplasia usually occurs after menopause, when ovulation stops and progesterone is no longer made. It also can occur during peri-menopause, when ovulation may not occur regularly. Listed as follows are other situations in which women may have high levels of oestrogen and not enough progesterone:
– Use of medications that act like oestrogen
– Long-term use of high doses of oestrogen after menopause (in women who have not had a hysterectomy)
– Irregular menstrual periods, especially associated with polycystic ovary syndrome or infertility
– ObesityTransvaginal ultrasound may be done to measure the thickness of the endometrium. To exclude carcinoma an endometrial biopsy, dilation and curettage, or hysteroscopy may be done.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Genitourinary
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Question 7
Incorrect
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The liver is the principal site for?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Storage of iron
Explanation:The liver mainly synthesizes proteins including albumin, globulins and coalgulative factors. Vitamin B12 is taken in via the diet and stored by the liver. Vitamin C is not stored and excessive vitamin C is excreted via urine. Liver is the main site of iron storage, where it is stored in the form of ferritin.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Hepatobiliary
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Question 8
Incorrect
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Question 9
Incorrect
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A 46 year old male, known with Rheumatoid Arthritis presents with a swollen and painful right ankle. No drug allergies are reported. On examination, the vitals are as follows:
Temp: 38.8
BP: 90/60 mmHg
Pulse: 110/min.
Right ankle examination reveals tenderness, warmth, erythema and tense joint effusion. Blood samples including blood cultures are collected and fluid resuscitation is initiated. Which of the following interventions would be most appropriate for this man?Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Administer i.v. flucloxacillin, and arrange joint aspiration urgently
Explanation:Although microscopic analysis of joint fluid aspirate and culture is the basis of septic arthritis diagnosis and should usually be collected before the administration of antibiotics, the patient is showing signs of septic shock. A delay in antibiotics might lead to worsening of symptoms so they are administered first.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 10
Incorrect
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A 42 year old female presents with morning stiffness that usually takes an hour to settle and a one year history of intermittent pain and swelling of the small joints of her hands. Examination reveals symmetric soft tissue swelling over the PIP and MCP joints and rheumatoid nodules on the elbows. There is also an effusion of both wrists. Lab results are positive for rheumatoid factor. X-ray of the wrists and hands shows erosions and bony decalcification. NSAIDs are started and the patient is referred to a rheumatologist for consideration of DMARD. Previous history is significant for TB. Which of the following should be avoided?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Infliximab
Explanation:Anti-TNF-α therapy is effective for patients with arthritis but it can oftentimes lead to the reactivation of latent TB. Hence it should be used with great caution in patients with a past history of TB or current infection.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 11
Incorrect
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A 65-year-old male was admitted for surgery 4 days ago. He suddenly became confused and aggressive. His attention span was reduced, and he became very restless. Which single option from the history best explains his condition?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Alcohol consumption
Explanation:Patient was dependent on alcohol. After 4 days of admission he developed signs of alcohol withdrawal.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Seriously Ill
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Question 12
Incorrect
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A 41-year-old woman has been complaining of tiredness over the past few weeks. She has angular stomatitis but no koilonychia. What is the most probable cell type to be seen in her blood film?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Macrocytes
Explanation:This is a case of Vit. B12 or folic acid deficiency. The anaemia with angular stomatitis is highly suggestive of Vit. B12 or folate deficiency. The absence of koilonychia excludes Iron deficiency anaemia.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Haematology
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Question 13
Incorrect
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A 12-month-old baby with HIV is scheduled for his MMR vaccine. What is the most appropriate action?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Don’t give the vaccine
Explanation:Live attenuated vaccines such as the MMR, should be avoided in HIV+ patients.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Child Health
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Question 14
Incorrect
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A 45 year old male, chronic smoker presented with a 6 month history of a productive cough with blood stained sputum and shortness of breath. The most likely diagnosis would be?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Bronchiectasis
Explanation:Bronchiectasis is characterised by a blood stained productive cough with copious amount of sputum production, along with dyspnoea.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Respiratory
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Question 15
Incorrect
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A 49-year-old woman suddenly experienced complete loss of vision in her right eye. Fundoscopy results show a pale retina, and a cherry red spot on the macular region. She also experienced right sided headaches aggravated by chewing. What caused her vision loss?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: CRAO
Explanation:Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a disease of the eye where the flow of blood through the central retinal artery is blocked (occluded). There are several different causes of this occlusion; the most common is carotid artery atherosclerosis. It causes sudden vision loss in one eye. Fundoscopic exam will show a red lesion, called a cherry red spot, with surrounding pale retina (the pale colour is caused by ischemia of the retina)
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Ophthalmology
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Question 16
Incorrect
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Which of the following treatments would you advise for a young, 21 year old student who has ankylosing spondylitis and complains of worsening back pain and morning stiffness?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Oral NSAIDs
Explanation:NSAIDs are considered as the first line of treatment for managing pain and stiffness associated with ankylosing spondylitis. Other useful medications include TNF-alpha inhibitors. Other drugs like paracetamol, colchicine, and steroids are not routinely used. Bilateral total hip replacement might be indicated in advanced disease contrary to complicated spinal surgery.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 17
Incorrect
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A 27 year old female has been taken to A&E from a cinema after complaining of sudden severe pain in the eyes. This is followed by seeing coloured halos and vomiting. She has a history of reoccurring headaches which used to resolve themselves. She is examined and is found to have a fixed, dilated ovoid pupil. Choose the most appropriate first investigation from the list.
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Applanation tonometry
Explanation:The darkness of the cinema room will have caused halfway dilation of the pupil. This can cause an acute attack of angle closure glaucoma. The appropriate test to diagnose this is applanation tonometry.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Ophthalmology
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Question 18
Incorrect
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A 40-year-old female presented with chronic pelvic pain for 6 months, which was aggravated by standing and walking. The pain was worst at the end of the day, during the pre-menstrual period and following sexual intercourse. Which of the following can be the most likely cause of this presentation?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Pelvic congestion syndrome
Explanation:The pelvic pain which is aggravated by changes in posture, during the pre menstrual period and towards the end of the day favours the diagnosis of pelvic congestion syndrome. Pelvic congestion syndrome is a condition of pelvic varicosities in women with unexplained pelvic pain. PID, endometriosis and adenomyosis are causes for chronic pelvic pain but they don’t match with the given clinical picture.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Genitourinary
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Question 19
Incorrect
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A 24 year old man presents to the clinic complaining of lower limb joint pain and lower backache for the past 2 weeks. He remembers getting a mild gastrointestinal infection while in Spain 6 weeks ago that settled spontaneously. There has been eye irritation that has now settled. Past surgical history includes an appendectomy 3 years back. Vital examination shows a temperature of 37.5 C. Lab results reveal a normal WBC and raised ESR. Which of the following is true?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Rheumatoid factor is likely to be negative
Explanation:Reactive arthritis, (formerly known as Reiter’s syndrome), is an autoimmune condition that occurs after a bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal or urinary tract. It is categorized as a seronegative spondylarthritis because of its association with HLA-B27. Reactive arthritis primarily affects young men and usually presents with musculoskeletal or extra‑articular symptoms. The characteristic triad consists of arthritis, conjunctivitis, and urethritis. The diagnosis is based on clinical features such as patient history and physical examination; there are no specific tests for reactive arthritis. Treatment is primarily symptomatic and consists of the administration of NSAIDs, as most patients recover spontaneously. extraarticular dermatologic manifestations include skin lesions of the glans resembling psoriasis (balanitis circinata); hyperkeratinisation of the palms and soles (keratoderma blenorrhagicum), oral ulcers. There usually is no rash and the diagnosis is unrelated to the presence of rheumatoid factor. This is a clinical diagnosis.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 20
Incorrect
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A 8 year old boy who had not wet his bed for the past 3 and half years, presented with bed wetting for 2 weeks. Which of the following is the most appropriate management?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer:
Explanation:As this boy was dry for a considerable period, there is a high chance of a secondary cause for the bed wetting, such as bladder infections, constipation, diabetes, psychological stress and hormonal problems etc. These have to be excluded.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Child Health
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Question 21
Incorrect
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A 25-year-old woman is presenting with diarrhoea and abdominal bloating over the last 4 months. On examination, she has a blistering rash over her elbows. Biochemical investigation showed that she has low serum albumin, calcium and folate concentrations. On jejunal biopsy there is shortening of the villi and lymphocytosis. What is the most likely cause?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Coeliac disease
Explanation:Celiac disease has characteristic shortened intestinal villi. When patients with celiac disease eat products containing gluten, they are unable to absorb the nutrients due to flattened or shortened intestinal villi. The blistering rash present on the patient’s elbows strongly suggests celiac disease. This rash is a sign of the condition Dermatitis Herpetiformis which is associate with celiac disease. Therefore, it is also often called ‘gluten rash’.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
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Question 22
Incorrect
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A 58 year old woman with a longstanding history of hypertension arrives at the hospital complaining of recurrent falls when trying to get out of bed or get up from sitting. She is currently on an anti hypertensive regimen? What do you think is most likely responsible for her falls?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Thiazide
Explanation:The causes of orthostatic hypotension include the following: Hypovolemia (a drop in the volume of blood) and dehydration (low fluid volume in the body). Common causes of these are bleeding, elevated sugar, diarrhoea, vomiting, and medications like thiazide diuretics (HCTZ) and loop diuretics (furosemide, bumetanide)
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Seriously Ill
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Question 23
Incorrect
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A 75-year-old man was admitted with urinary dribbling and incontinence. Upon examination, there is a palpable mass up to the umbilicus. His clothes smell of ammonia and he is known to be a chronic alcoholic. What is the next most appropriate step?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Urethral catheter
Explanation:It is obvious in this case that chronic alcohol use has contributed to the patient’s urinary incontinence which requires a urethral catheter. Suprapubic catheters are usually preferred in cases of acute urinary retention while condom catheters are indicated in less severe cases of urinary incontinence. We would administer antibiotics if we suspected a urinary infection causing the urinary incontinence, but in this case the cause is obvious.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Urology
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Question 24
Incorrect
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A patient has an autosomal recessive disorder, which causes lysine, arginine, ornithine and cystine to appear in his urine. The treatment proposed is the combination of urinary alkalinisation with penicillamine. Choose the most likely type of renal calculus present.
Your Answer:
Correct Answer:
Explanation:The presence in the urine of cystine, orthinine, arginine and lysine indicate a tubular reabsorption defect. This condition is a hereditary one, and stone formation is more common in homozygotes. The patient has no other abnormalities that could indicate stone formation.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Renal
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Question 25
Incorrect
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A 57-year-old female presented to the cardiology centre with a history of chest tightness for a few hours, accompanied by pain radiating to the left side of the shoulder and neck. ECG was normal. What is the next best investigation for this patient?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Cardiac enzymes
Explanation:This patient’s symptoms of angina radiating to the neck and shoulders gives a strong suspicion of MI. Cardiac enzymes such as troponins are highly specific and sensitive for a heart attack.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
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Question 26
Incorrect
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A 32 year old female has had an episode of a severe occipital headache. This is accompanied by vomiting and unconsciousness. She has been taken to the emergency department, where she is conscious and completely alert. Her pulse is normal and no abnormal neurological signs are found. From the list of options, choose the next step in her treatment.
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: CT brain
Explanation:Severe headaches and LOC can be caused by basilar migraines (but here the patient has no neurological deficit and becomes completely alert when recovering from unconscious periods). In order to diagnose basilar migraines, there needs to be a history of at least two other migraine attacks with an aura. The diagnostic criteria of a basilar migraine are not fulfilled and so the patient must not be discharged without a CT scan.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Neurology
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Question 27
Incorrect
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A 42 year old male arrives at the clinic due to cough and haemoptysis. Examination shows nasal mucosal ulceration. The doctor suspects Wegener's granulomatosis. Which anatomical area would be most commonly involved in this condition?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Lungs
Explanation:Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, previously known as Wegener’s granulomatosis) is a systemic vasculitis that affects both small and medium-sized vessels. Patients typically initially suffer from a limited form that may consist of constitutional symptoms and localized manifestations such as chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, otitis media, ocular conditions. In later stages, more serious manifestations may arise, including pulmonary complications and glomerulonephritis, although the skin, eyes, and heart may also be involved but these lesions are less common.
Diagnosis is based on laboratory testing (positive for PR3-ANCA/c-ANCA), imaging, and biopsy of affected organs, which demonstrate necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. GPA is treated with immunosuppressive drugs, typically consisting of glucocorticoids combined with methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, or rituximab. Relapses are common and the following systems are affected: Lower respiratory tract (95% of cases), renal involvement (80% of cases), skin lesions (45% of cases), ocular involvement (45% of cases) and cardiac involvement (33% of cases). -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 28
Incorrect
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A 25 year old female who was on sodium valproate for epilepsy came for the advice about contraception. Which of the following is accurate?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: She can use COCP
Explanation:There are no interactions between the combined oral contraceptive pill, progesterone-only pill, medroxyprogesterone injections or levonorgestrel implants and the AEDs valproic acid (sodium valproate), vigabatrin, lamotrigine, gabapentin, tiagabine, levetiracetam, zonisamide, ethosuximide and the benzodiazepines. So she can use COCP along with Sodium valproate.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gynaecology
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Question 29
Incorrect
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During the peri-infarct period, which of these drug classes have been shown to have the greatest favourable benefit?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer:
Explanation:Statins and ACE inhibitors are beneficial initially for the first 24 hours but not proven to have a benefit in the post infarct period. Statins have plaque stabilising functions when activated early following infarction. In contrast, when started immediately, beta blockers are the most beneficial. Nitrates have not been proven beneficial for survival and some calcium channel blockers actually increased the mortality rate.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
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Question 30
Incorrect
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A 65-year-old female presented with episodes of unilateral blindness, which spontaneously resolved. Her cardiovascular examination was normal. What is the single most appropriate investigation that can be performed to arrive at a diagnosis?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer:
Explanation:Amaurosis fugax (transient ipsilateral visual loss) and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are presentations of atherosclerotic disease of the carotid artery which can be identified by carotid duplex ultrasonography (US), with or without colour, which is the screening test of choice to evaluate for carotid stenosis.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Neurology
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
