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Question 1
Correct
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Which of the following statements is true regarding renal blood flow in pregnancy?
Your Answer: Increases by approximately 50%
Explanation:Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) rises immediately after conception and increases by about 50 per cent overall, reaching its maximum at the end of the first trimester. GFR then falls by about 20 per cent in the third trimester, returning to pre-pregnancy levels within 12 weeks of delivery.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 2
Incorrect
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Lowered haemoglobin during normal pregnancy is a physiological finding which is mainly due to:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Increased plasma volume
Explanation:During pregnancy, anaemia increases more than fourfold from the first to third trimester. It is a well established fact that there is a physiological drop in haemoglobin (Hb) in the mid trimester. This physiological drop is attributed to increase of plasma volume and hence decrease of blood viscosity lead to better circulation in placenta.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 3
Incorrect
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The following are presumptive skin signs of pregnancy, except:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Maculo-papular rash
Explanation:Skin signs during pregnancy may include: dark spots on the breasts, nipples and inner thighs, melasma (chloasma), linea nigra, stretch marks, acne, spider telangiectasis and varicose veins.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 4
Incorrect
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In the absence of any gross pelvic abnormality, cephalopelvic disproportion can be correctly diagnosed by?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Trial of labour
Explanation:Cephalo-pelvic disproportion exists when the capacity of the pelvis is inadequate to allow the foetus to negotiate the birth canal. This may be due to a small pelvis, a nongynecoid pelvic formation, a large foetus, an unfavourable orientation of the foetus, or a combination of these factors. Diagnosis of CPD may be made when there is failure to progress, but not all cases of prolonged labour are the result of CPD. Use of ultrasound to measure the size of the foetus in the womb is controversial, as these methods are often inaccurate and may lead to unnecessary caesarean section; a trial of labour is often recommended even if size of the foetus is estimated to be large.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 5
Incorrect
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The β-hCG curve in maternal serum in a normal pregnancy peaks at:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: 10 weeks of pregnancy
Explanation:During the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, concentrations of hCG in the blood and urine usually double every 24 hours. Levels of the hormone typically peak at around 10 weeks, decline until 16 weeks, then remain constant.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 6
Incorrect
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Serum prolactin levels are greatest in which of the following conditions?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Suckling
Explanation:Serum prolactin levels are increased during suckling. Some other conditions in which serum prolactin is increased consist of: prolactin secreting brain tumours, anti psychotic drugs and hypothyroidism. It can also be increased in pregnancy, nipple stimulation and stress.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 7
Incorrect
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The following ultrasonic measurements may be used to confirm or establish gestational age:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Crown rump length
Explanation:Fetal ultrasound scanning is considered an essential part of routine antenatal care with first trimester scans recommended for confirming viability, accurate estimation of gestational age and determining the number of foetuses. Fetal crown-rump length (CRL) is measured in early pregnancy primarily to determine the gestation age (GA) of a foetus and is most reliable between 9+0 to 13+6 weeks’ gestation, but not beyond.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 8
Incorrect
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Immediate delivery of the foetus is recommended at which fetal scalp pH?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: 7.18
Explanation:A pH value below than 7.18 indicates acidosis which can result in hypoxic brain injury. In order to prevent brain injury, immediate delivery of the foetus should be planned. The normal range for a term baby is pH: 7.18 – 7.38, preterm pH: 7.14 – 7.4.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 9
Incorrect
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What kind of biochemical changes occur during the follicular phase of menstrual cycle?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Endometrial gland proliferation
Explanation:During follicular phase, there is an increase in gonadotrophin hormones and a proliferation of the endometrium occurs. The duration of the cycle depends upon the overall length of the menstrual cycle. The progesterone levels are increased in the luteal phase and not in follicular phase.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 10
Incorrect
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Pregnancy is associated with all of the following, EXCEPT:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Increased peripheral resistance
Explanation:A variety of changes in the cardiovascular system occur during normal pregnancy, including increases in cardiac output, arterial compliance, extracellular fluid volume and decreases in blood pressure (BP) and total peripheral resistance.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 11
Incorrect
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Regarding cardiac output in pregnancy which of the following statements is TRUE?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Cardiac output increases by approximately 40-50% during pregnancy
Explanation:In a non pregnant adult female the cardiac output is 4.5L/min, by the 20 week of pregnancy the cardiac output increases by 40% to 6.3L/min. During early stages of labour it increases further still by 17% to 7.3L/min.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 12
Incorrect
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What form is 99% of body calcium found in?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Calcium Phosphate
Explanation:Calcium phosphate salts are the most abundant form of calcium in the body, making up 99%. The majority of these salts are stored in the skeleton in different forms, mostly, hydroxyapatite, a lattice-like crystal composed of calcium, phosphates and hydroxide. The remaining calcium can be found in the extracellular fluid, tissues and skeletal muscle.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 13
Incorrect
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Ovulation may be indicated by all the following, EXCEPT:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Mid-cycle elevation in prolactin
Explanation:An elevation in serum PRL is associated with a variety of reproductive disorders, including amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, anovulation and/or luteal phase defects with subsequent infertility.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 14
Incorrect
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Which of the following would normally be expected to increase during pregnancy:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Thyroxin-binding globulin
Explanation:Thyroid function in pregnancy is altered in two ways; the circulating levels of the thyroid binding proteins are increased, resulting in an increase in the total circulating levels of thyroid hormones (but a slight fall in the free component).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 15
Incorrect
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Question 16
Incorrect
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Which one of the following statements regarding fetal blood pH is correct?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Can be measured during labour
Explanation:A sample for fetal blood pH can be taken during the labour. The mother should be lying in a left lateral position.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 17
Incorrect
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CTG showing early decelerations is :
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: From increased vagal tone secondary to head compression
Explanation:Early decelerations: a result of increased vagal tone due to compression of the fetal head during contractions. Monitoring usually shows a symmetrical, gradual decrease and return to baseline of FHR, which is associated with a uterine contraction.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 18
Incorrect
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If a sample of cervical mucus is taken on the 12th day of the menstrual cycle and examined under the microscope, what kind of findings would be observed?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: A fern pattern characteristic of oestrogen
Explanation:Fern test looks for a specific fern like pattern of cervical mucus when observed under light microscope after the sample is dried. It occurs due to the presence of sodium chloride under oestrogen influence whereas progesterone opposes it.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 19
Incorrect
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In the foetus, the most well oxygenated blood flows into which part of the heart:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Right atrium
Explanation:The placenta accepts the blue, unoxygenated blood from the foetus through blood vessels that leave the foetus through the umbilical cord (umbilical arteries, there are two of them). When blood goes through the placenta it picks up oxygen and becomes red. The red blood then returns to the foetus via the third vessel in the umbilical cord, the umbilical vein. The red blood that enters the foetus passes through the fetal liver and enters the right side of the heart.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 20
Incorrect
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Changes in the urinary tract system in pregnancy include:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Increase in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
Explanation:Pregnancy involves remarkable orchestration of physiologic changes. The kidneys are central players in the evolving hormonal milieu of pregnancy, responding and contributing to the changes in the environment for the pregnant woman and foetus. The functional impact of pregnancy on kidney physiology is widespread, involving practically all aspects of kidney function. The glomerular filtration rate increases 50% with subsequent decrease in serum creatinine, urea, and uric acid values.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 21
Incorrect
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The maternal blood volume in normal pregnancy:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Increases up to 40%
Explanation:Changes in the cardiovascular system in pregnancy are profound and begin early in pregnancy, such that by eight weeks’ gestation, the cardiac output has already increased by 20%. The primary event is probably peripheral vasodilatation. This is mediated by endothelium-dependent factors, including nitric oxide synthesis, upregulated by oestradiol and possibly vasodilatory prostaglandins (PGI2). Peripheral vasodilation leads to a 25–30% fall in systemic vascular resistance, and to compensate for this, cardiac output increases by around 40% during pregnancy.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 22
Incorrect
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During normal pregnancy, a weight gain is anticipated. The average weight gain is approximately:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: 10-15 kg
Explanation:Institute of Medicine Weight Gain Recommendations for Pregnancy: Recommends a gestational weight gain of 16.8–24.5 kg (37–54 lb) for women of normal weight, 14.1–22.7 kg (31–50 lb) for overweight women, and 11.3–19.1 kg (25–42 lb) for obese women.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 23
Incorrect
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Question 24
Incorrect
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Which of the following increases during pregnancy?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Tidal Volume
Explanation:Ventilation begins to increase significantly at around 8 weeks of gestation, most likely in response to progesterone-related sensitization of the respiratory centre to carbon dioxide and the increased metabolic rate. Significant alterations occur in the mechanical aspects of ventilation during pregnancy. Minute ventilation (or the amount of air moved in and out of the lungs in 1 minute) is the product of tidal volume and respiratory rate and increases by approximately 30–50 per cent with pregnancy. The increase is primarily a result of tidal volume, which increases by 40 per cent (from 500 to 700 mL), because the respiratory rate remains unchanged. The increase in minute ventilation is perceived by the pregnant woman as shortness of breath, which affects 60–70 per cent of women. This physiological dyspnoea is usually mild and affects 50 per cent of women before 20 weeks gestation, but resolves immediately postpartum.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 25
Incorrect
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The resting pulse in pregnancy is:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Increased by 10 to 15 bpm
Explanation:During pregnancy cardiac output increases by 30 to 50%. As a result, the resting pulse speeds up from a normal of about 70 bpm to 80 or 90 bpm.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 26
Incorrect
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A patient is about to undergo an elective C-section. She wants to know how long it will take for her wound to completely heal.
How much time does it take for healing by primary intention to reach full tensile strength?Your Answer:
Correct Answer: 12 weeks
Explanation:Wound healing typically undergoes different stages that include haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling. The phases are often shortened when healing occurs by primary intention such as in a surgical wound. Remodelling, which is the major strengthening phase, takes about 3 weeks, while it takes a total of 12 weeks to reach maximum tensile strength.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 27
Incorrect
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What is the most common cause of hypercalcaemia?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Primary hyperparathyroidism
Explanation:Primary hyperparathyroidism is the most common cause of hypercalcaemia with incidence rates in the UK approximately 30 per 100,000 The majority of patients are postmenopausal women.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 28
Incorrect
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We can detect the fetal heart beat by Sonography (transvaginal) at:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: 6 weeks
Explanation:The earliest fetal heart rate detected transvaginally was at 6 weeks 0 days of gestation compared with 7 weeks 0 days transabdominally. The transvaginal Doppler method was also more successful in detecting the fetal heart rate in women with a retroverted uterus (p < or = 0.01).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 29
Incorrect
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Polyhydramnios is associated with which one of the following conditions?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Tracheo-oesophageal fistula
Explanation:Oesophageal atresia/TE fistula may be suspected prenatally with ultrasound findings of polyhydramnios, absence of fluid in the stomach, small sized abdomen, or the presence of a dilated proximal oesophageal pouch. An underlying disease is only found in 17 % of cases in mild polyhydramnios. In contrast, an underlying disease is detected in 91 % of cases in moderate to severe polyhydramnios. The literature lists the following potential aetiologies: fetal malformations and genetic anomalies (8–45 %), maternal diabetes mellitus (5–26 %), multiple pregnancies (8–10 %), fetal anaemia (1–11 %), other causes, e.g. viral infections, Bartter syndrome, neuromuscular disorders, maternal hypercalcemia. Viral infections which can lead to polyhydramnios include parvovirus B19, rubella, and cytomegalovirus. Other infections, e.g. toxoplasmosis and syphilis, can also cause polyhydramnios.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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Question 30
Incorrect
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Normally, pregnancy in 2nd trimester is characterized by all of the following, EXCEPT:
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Elevated fasting plasma glucose
Explanation:Elevated fasting plasma glucose means gestational diabetes mellitus and is not considered to be in the spectrum of a normal pregnancy. In normal pregnancy however, maternal tissues become progressively insensitive to insulin. This is believed to be caused partly by hormones from the placenta and partly by other obesity and pregnancy related factors that are not fully understood. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurs in about 5% of pregnancies but figures vary considerably depending upon the criteria used and demographic characteristics of the population.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Physiology
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
