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Question 1
Incorrect
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The layers of the neocortex from the 1st to the 6th are arranged as follows:
Your Answer: Multiform, external granular, external pyramidal, internal granular, internal pyramidal, molecular
Correct Answer: Molecular, external granular, external pyramidal, internal granular, internal pyramidal, multiform
Explanation:The layers of neocortex from outermost to innermost include: the molecular, external granular layer, external pyramidal, internal granular, internal pyramidal and multiform layer.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 2
Correct
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A 50-year-old woman under treatment for manic-depressive psychosis presents in an unconscious state after an episode of seizure on the street. Her husband who accompanied her into the ER reported that they argued about 6-7 hours ago. On examination, she is found to be hypertonic with a GCS of 8, BP: 90/60 mmHg and a pulse of 105 bpm. Blood investigations revealed a lithium level of 3.2 mmol/L. She was intubated and ventilated. Which of the following is the most appropriate immediate management in this case?
Your Answer: N saline should be started iv
Explanation:- Normal saline (N saline) should be started IV: Intravenous normal saline is recommended to enhance renal excretion of lithium. Adequate hydration is crucial because lithium is primarily excreted by the kidneys, and maintaining good urine output can help reduce lithium levels.
- Dialysis: This is considered the most effective treatment for severe lithium toxicity, especially when serum levels are significantly elevated (typically >2.5 mmol/L) and the patient presents with severe symptoms such as seizures, altered mental status, or renal impairment. Given the patient’s lithium level of 3.2 mmol/L and her critical condition, dialysis is necessary to rapidly reduce lithium levels.
The other options are less appropriate or ineffective in this context:
- Gastric lavage should be considered: This is not typically recommended for lithium poisoning because lithium is rapidly absorbed and lavage is unlikely to be effective several hours post-ingestion.
- Activated charcoal is likely to be effective: Activated charcoal does not effectively bind lithium and is not recommended for lithium poisoning.
- 5% dextrose should be started IV: While maintaining hydration is important, normal saline is preferred over dextrose solutions in this context to promote renal excretion of lithium.
- Dialysis is not normally required unless levels are above 5 mmol/L: This statement is incorrect. Dialysis is often required at lower levels, particularly in cases of severe toxicity or if the patient is symptomatic, as seen in this case.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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Question 3
Correct
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A 67 year old man reports weight loss. Labs show a raised alkaline phosphatase at 290 U/L (normal range 35-120). Plain radiographs reveal sclerotic lesions of the bone. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these findings?
Your Answer: Prostate cancer
Explanation:Osteoblastic (or sclerotic) bony metastases, characterized by deposition of new bone, present in prostate cancer, carcinoid, small cell lung cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma or medulloblastoma. The other cancers listed in the options are osteolytic.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Connective Tissue
- Medicine
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Question 4
Correct
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HCL is secreted by which cells in the stomach
Your Answer: Parietal cells
Explanation:Parietal cells are the epithelial cells that secrete hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intrinsic factor. These cells are located in the gastric glands found in the lining of the fundus and in the body of the stomach.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
- Medicine
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Question 5
Incorrect
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The following cells replicate without shortening their telomeres because they express telomerase.
Your Answer: Stem cells
Correct Answer: Germ cells
Explanation:Telomerase activity is seen in germ cells and is absent in somatic cells. Telomeres prevent the chromosomes from shortening and prevent the coding portion of the DNA from being lost, thus allowing the cell to replicate indefinitely. During replication telomeres may be lost resulting in cell death.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Genetics
- Medicine
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Question 6
Incorrect
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A 43 year old man with hemochromatosis presents with a painful and swollen right knee. X-ray shows extensive chondrocalcinosis but no fracture. Given the most likely diagnosis, which of the following would be present in the joint fluid aspirate?
Your Answer: Monosodium urate crystals
Correct Answer: Positively birefringent rhomboid-shaped crystals
Explanation:Pseudogout is a paroxysmal joint inflammation due to calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition (calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate). Arthrocentesis should be performed, especially in acute cases. Polarized light microscopy: detection of rhomboid-shaped, positively birefringent CPPD crystals. Synovial fluid findings: 10,000-50,000 WBCs/μL with > 90% neutrophils. X-ray findings: cartilage calcification of the affected joint (chondrocalcinosis). Fibrocartilage (meniscus, annulus fibrosus of intervertebral disc) and hyaline cartilage (joint cartilage) may be affected.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Connective Tissue
- Medicine
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Question 7
Incorrect
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A 60 year old male presents with one month history of generalized headache, fever and malaise. He also complains of scalp sensitivity while combing his hair. In order to confirm the diagnosis, which of the following would be the definite test?
Your Answer: Antinuclear antibody test
Correct Answer: Temporal artery biopsy
Explanation:Temporal arteritis is a chronic large- and medium-sized vessel vasculitis that typically involves the temporal arteries. Classical symptoms include temporal headaches, jaw claudication, amaurosis fugax. Physical exam shows scalp tenderness, palpation of the temporal area may demonstrate an absent pulse, knot-like swelling, and vision loss. Lab results reveal an increased erythematous sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Temporal artery biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Management approach: high-dose systemic corticosteroids should be promptly administered even before the diagnosis is established. Temporal artery biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Inability to manage this or administer glucocorticoids might lead to development of blindness.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Connective Tissue
- Medicine
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Question 8
Incorrect
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Which one of these features is typical of dermatomyositis?
Your Answer: Distal muscle weakness
Correct Answer: Gottron's papules over knuckles of fingers
Explanation:The main symptom of dermatomyositis include skin rash and symmetric proximal muscle weakness (in over 90% of patients) which may be accompanied by pain and tenderness. It occurs more commonly in females. Skin findings include:Gottron’s sign – an erythematous, scaly eruption occurring in symmetric fashion over the MCP and interphalangeal jointsHeliotrope or lilac rash – a violaceous eruption on the upper eyelids and in rare cases on the lower eyelids as well, often with itching and swellingShawl (or V-) sign is a diffuse, flat, erythematous lesion over the back and shoulders or in a V over the posterior neck and back or neck and upper chest, which worsens with UV light. Erythroderma is a flat, erythematous lesion similar to the shawl sign but located in other areas, such as the malar region and the forehead. Periungual telangiectasias and erythema occur.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Dermatology
- Medicine
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Question 9
Correct
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The onset of puberty is triggered by
Your Answer: Increase in pulsatile GNRH secretion from hypothalamus
Explanation:The onset of puberty is associated with high GNRH pulsing, which precedes the rise in sex hormones. Brain tumours which increase GNRH output may also lead to premature puberty. The cause of the GNRH rise is unknown.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 10
Incorrect
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What microscopic changes are visible in an active thyroid gland?
Your Answer: Follicles are large
Correct Answer: Follicle lining cells are cuboid or columnar.
Explanation:Active follicles are lined by cuboidal or columnar cells; this is because active follicles are smaller and have less colloid. Their cells are tall because they are actively secreting hormones, whereas older follicles have a flat epithelium and are filled with more colloid.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 11
Incorrect
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Which of the following stimuli increase growth hormone secretion?
Your Answer: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)
Correct Answer: Ghrelin
Explanation:Ghrelin is a hormone which serves as an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. It acts on the pituitary and the hypothalamus by affecting the vagus nerve. It acts on the somatotrophs of the anterior pituitary, GHRH-secreting neurons, and on GHIH-secreting neurons in the hypothalamus, causing a time-dependent and pulsatile stimulation over the secretion of growth hormone.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 12
Correct
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Question 13
Correct
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Which of the following best describes the cardiac muscle?
Your Answer: Striated and involuntary
Explanation:Cardiac muscle (heart muscle) is an involuntary, striated muscle that is found in the walls and histological foundation of the heart, specifically the myocardium. Cardiac muscle is one of three major types of muscle, the others being skeletal and smooth muscle.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Medicine
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Question 14
Correct
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Choose the correct statement about Aminoglycosides and Chloramphenicol
Your Answer: Chloramphenicol works on Ribosome 50 S peptidyl transferase
Explanation:Aminoglycoside is a category of traditional Gram-negative antibacterial therapeutic agents that inhibit protein synthesis. Aminoglycoside antibiotics display bactericidal activity against gram-negative aerobes and some anaerobic bacilli where resistance has not yet arisen, but generally not against Gram-positive and anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria.Chloramphenicol is a bacteriostatic by inhibiting protein synthesis. It prevents protein chain elongation by inhibiting the peptidyl transferase activity of the bacterial ribosome. It specifically binds to A2451 and A2452 residues in the 23S rRNA of the 50S ribosomal subunit, preventing peptide bond formation.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Infectious Diseases
- Medicine
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Question 15
Correct
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Which of the following drugs is NOT bacteriostatic?
Your Answer: Penicillin
Explanation:Bactericidal antibiotics kill bacteria directly whereas bacteriostatic antibiotics slow their growth or reproduction. Tetracycline is a bacteriostatic antibiotic. Erythromycin which is a macrolide is mainly a bacteriostatic antibiotic but can show bactericidal action depending on the dose. Sulphonamides are mainly bacteriostatic. Penicillin inhibits cell wall synthesis therefore it is considered as bactericidal. Chloramphenicol is primarily a bacteriostatic antibiotic which inhibits protein synthesis and can exhibit bactericidal action in high concentrations.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Infectious Diseases
- Medicine
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Question 16
Incorrect
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The superior orbital fissure is the site of entry/exit for which of the following group of nerves?
Your Answer: CN III, IV, V3, VI
Correct Answer: CN III, IV, V1, VI
Explanation:The superior and inferior divisions of oculomotor nerve (III), trochlear nerve (IV), lacrimal, frontal and nasociliary branches of ophthalmic V1 and the abducens nerve (VI)
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 17
Incorrect
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Which of the following forms an important constituent of the brush border on the microvilli of the intestinal epithelium?
Your Answer: Crypts
Correct Answer: Hydrolases
Explanation:There are certain enzymes which are part of the brush border cells including hydrolases also known as the brush border hydrolases. They perform the final step in digestion of certain nutrients.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
- Medicine
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Question 18
Incorrect
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Question 19
Incorrect
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A 49 year old female presents to the clinic complaining of pain in her left elbow that is localized to the left lateral epicondyle. She has spent the weekend painting her house. A diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis is suspected. The pain would characteristically worsen on which of the following movements?
Your Answer: Flexion of the elbow
Correct Answer: Resisted wrist extension with the elbow extended
Explanation:Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is an overuse injury of the hand and finger extensor tendons that originate in the lateral humeral epicondyle that occurs following repeated or excessive pronation/supination and extension of the wrist (e.g., in racquet sports). Clinical features include pain and tenderness over the lateral epicondyle and along extensor muscles, thickening of the tendons. The examiner holds the patient’s hand with the thumb placed over the lateral epicondyle – The patient makes a fist, supinates the forearm, deviates radially, and extends the fist against the examiner’s resistance which results in pain over the lateral epicondyle. Conservative treatment includes rest, physiotherapy and orthotic braces. If this fails corticosteroids and lidocaine injections are employed. Surgery is indicated in patients with persistent symptoms despite 6 months of conservative treatment. Excision of abnormal tendon tissue; longitudinal incisions (tenotomies) in scarred and fibrotic areas to promote healing.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Connective Tissue
- Medicine
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Question 20
Incorrect
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A 30-year-old female presents with a 4-day history of diarrhoea and vomiting. She has been unable to keep fluids down for 4 days and has been treated with metoclopramide. She develops a dystonic reaction. What is the most appropriate treatment for this woman?
Your Answer: Flupentixol
Correct Answer: Benztropine
Explanation:Acute dystonic reactions (extrapyramidal symptoms) such as spasmodic torticollis, trismus, and oculogyric crises can occur following the administration of metoclopramide or stemetil and thus, neither is recommended for the treatment of nausea in young women.
Such reactions respond well to treatment with benztropine or procyclidine.
– Benztropine: It is an anticholinergic medication with significant CNS penetration. A single dose of benztropine 1 to 2 mg IV followed by 1 to 2 mg p.o twice a day for up to 7 days to prevent a recurrence. Subsequently, both the offending agent and those from the same group should be avoided.
– Alternatively, diphenhydramine can be used intravenously (up to a dose of 50mg) or intramuscularly followed by p.o therapy every 6 hours for 1 to 2 to prevent a recurrence.- Second-line therapy with IV benzodiazepines is reserved for those patients who do not respond to anticholinergics.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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Question 21
Correct
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Question 22
Incorrect
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Which of the following skin coloration abnormalities occurs due to adrenal insufficiency due to primary adrenal disease?
Your Answer: Piebaldism
Correct Answer: Hyperpigmentation
Explanation:Addison’s disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism is an endocrine disorder. Hyperpigmentation is one of its most common signs; it occurs as a result of an increase in pro-opiomelanocortin to produce more ACTH in response to the decreased levels of cortisol. Pro-opiomelanocortin is a precursor of melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), which stimulates melanocytes, causing darkening of the skin.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 23
Correct
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Cells mediating innate immunity include:
Your Answer: Natural killer cells
Explanation:Natural killer cells have features of both innate and adaptive immunity. They play an important part in defence against tumours and viruses. They are non specific and do not generate immunological memory
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Immunology
- Medicine
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Question 24
Incorrect
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Regarding taste threshold and intensity discrimination:
Your Answer: 90% change in concentration of substance tasted is necessary before an intensity difference can be detected
Correct Answer: 30% change in concentration of substance tasted is necessary before an intensity difference can be detected
Explanation:The ability of humans to differentiate differences in intensity of taste is poor. A 30% change in the concentration of the substance being tasted is required before an intensity difference is perceived.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Neurology
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Question 25
Correct
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Absorption of protein antigens i.e. bacterial and viral proteins takes place in the:
Your Answer: Microfold cells (m cells) of the intestine
Explanation:M cells are specialized epithelial cells. They have a high capacity of transcytosis of microorganisms and macromolecules. They rapidly uptake antigens and present them to immune cells associated with the gut. In contrast to absorptive enterocytes, M cells do not exert direct defence mechanisms to antigens and pathogens in the intestinal cavity. Crypts of Lieberkühn are located mainly in the small intestine and large intestine and the main function is to replenish epithelial cells and to secrete intestinal enzymatic juice as well as mucous. Brunner’s glands empty into intestinal glands and their main function is to secrete mucin and to form a protective mucus layer on the duodenal epithelial cells to protect it from acidic chyme coming from the stomach. Islets of Langerhans are located in the pancreas and secrets insulin mainly. Mucosa associated lymphoid tissue plays a role in inducing immune response after presentation of antigens.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal
- Medicine
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Question 26
Incorrect
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Which of the following features is least commonly seen in Gitelman’s syndrome?
Your Answer: Hypocalciuria
Correct Answer: Hypertension
Explanation:Gitelman syndrome is an autosomal recessive kidney disorder characterized by hypokalaemia metabolic alkalosis with hypocalciuria, and hypomagnesemia. In contrast to patients with Gordon’s syndrome, those suffering from Gitelman’s syndrome are generally normotensive or hypotensive.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
- Medicine
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Question 27
Incorrect
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Which of the following supplies the AV node?
Your Answer: Left coronary artery
Correct Answer: Right coronary artery
Explanation:The AV node is supplied by the right coronary artery near the origin of the posterior IV artery.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiovascular
- Medicine
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Question 28
Incorrect
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During quiet breathing the diaphragm’s role accounts for what percent of respiration?
Your Answer: 10%
Correct Answer: 75%
Explanation:The contraction of the diaphragm accounts for approximately 75% of the air movement during normal breathing.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Respiratory
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Question 29
Correct
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Question 30
Incorrect
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Which one of the following features is least recognised in long-term lithium use?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Alopecia
Explanation:All the above side-effects, with the exception of alopecia, may be seen in patients taking lithium.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Pharmacology
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
