A. Desmopressin acetate is indicated in von Willebrand’s disease, which presents with a prolonged bleeding time. B. Corticosteroids are indicated in immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. C. Vitamin K deficiency will prolong the PT greater than the aPTT. Vitamin K supplement is not indicated in this patient. ***D. Hemophilia A presents with a prolonged aPTT and normal platelet count and function. Hemophilia A is treated with factor VIII concentrate or cryoprecipitate.
***A. Toxoplasmosis is commonly noted in HIV positive patients and presents with multiple ring-enhancing lesions. Treatment of choice for possible toxoplasmosis is sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. B. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is used for prophylaxis of toxoplasmosis, but not for treatment of acute infection. C. Radiation therapy is indicated in CNS lymphoma, which typically presents with a single lesion. D. Shunt placement is not indicated in patients with toxoplasmosis.
A. Hegar’s sign is the softening of the cervix that often occurs with pregnancy. B. McDonald’s sign is when the uterus becomes flexible at the uterocervical junction at 7-8 weeks. C. Cullen’s sign is a purplish discoloration periumbilical and noted in pancreatitis. ***D. Chadwick’s sign is a bluish or purplish discoloration of the vagina and cervix.
***A. Occult bleeding, as evidenced by the patient’s history of black stools, is initially verified by a positive fecal occult blood test. B. Stool cultures are indicated in the evaluation of acute diarrhea and not for the evaluation of acute GI bleeding. C. Melena suggests a source of bleeding that is proximal to the ligament of Treitz, not a lower GI bleed. Sigmoidoscopy is used to evaluate only lower GI bleeding sources. D. Abdominal CT scan is indicated for evaluation of obscure bleeding in order to exclude a pancreatic or hepatic source of bleeding if endoscopy fails to identify the source.
5.. Health Maintenance/Dermatology Which of the following is considered a risk factor for the development of malignant melanoma? A. male gender B. inability to tan C. Japanese ethnicity D. brown-haired individuals
A. Incidence of malignant melanoma is equal in males and females. ***B. Inability to tan and propensity to burn are risk factors for developing malignant melanoma. C. Malignant melanomas are most common in Caucasians and are rarely seen in the Japanese population. D. Red hair and freckling is one of the major risk factors for malignant melanoma, not brown hair.
A. A Medrol dose pack will have no affect on carpal tunnel syndrome. ***B. Splinting in neutral position relieves impingement of the median nerve, thus improving symptoms of carpal tunnel. C. Observation will not improve symptoms. D. Surgical intervention is reserved for cases unresponsive to conservative therapy.
A. Infection is associated with interstitial nephritis, which is considered a cause of intrinsic renal azotemia. B. This is one of the causes of intrinsic renal azotemia. ***C. Renal hypoperfusion is the cause of prerenal azotemia, which may be rapidly reversible when renal blood flow and glomerular ultrafiltration pressure are restored. D. Urinary tract obstruction is the cause of postrenal azotemia.
***A. Renal parenchymal disease is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. B. Primary aldosteronism can cause secondary hypertension, but it is not the most common cause. C. Oral contraceptives can cause small increases in blood pressure but considerable increases are much less common. D. Cushing’s disease is a less common cause of secondary hypertension.
A. See C for explanation. B. See C for explanation. ***C. An infant will triple birth weight within the first year of life. A newborn that weighs 8 pounds at birth will weigh approximately 24 pounds at 1 year of age. D. See C for explanation.
A. Bulging and air bubbles behind the TM represent OM with effusion. ***B. Loss of tympanic membrane mobility during pneumoinsufflation is the most reliable sign for diagnosing acute otitis media. C. Reddening of the eardrum is not reliable as it may be due to crying or other vascular changes. D. See A for explanation.
***A. Hordeolum (stye) is a staphylococcal infection characterized by a localized red swollen and acutely tender abscess of the upper or lower eyelid. B. Uveitis is an intraocular inflammation involving the uveal tract. C. Chalazion is a granulomatous inflammation of the meibomian gland. D. Dacryocystitis is an infection of the lacrimal sac due to obstruction of the nasolacrimal system.
A. Proliferation of the mammary ducts is under the influence of estrogen. ***B. Growth of the lobules and alveoli is under the influence of progesterone. Prior to menses, the breast swelling that women notice is a result of the progesterone which is secreted from the corpus luteum. During menses, the swelling subsides. C. See B for explanation. D. See B for explanation.
A. See B for explanation. ***B. The only two approved drugs for aiding smoking cessation are nicotine and bupropion. C. See B for explanation. D. See B for explanation.
A. The lateral spinothalamic tract affects pain and temperature sensation. B. The ventral spinothalamic tract affects pressures and touch sensations. ***C. The posterior column affects proprioception (position sense) and vibration sense. D. Patients with transection of the cord will have loss of sensation distal to the area of injury along with paralysis and hyperactive reflexes in the area distal to the transection.
***A. This patient’s major cardiac risk factors are smoking and hypertension in addition to the elevated LDL cholesterol. B. See A for explanation. C. See A for explanation. D. See A for explanation.
A. Transient ischemic attacks present with focal neurological findings rather than headaches. (a)B. Bacterial meningitis is typically acute in onset and causes fever, but immunocompromised patients may have a slower onset and no fever. C. Migraines generally do not begin in this age group, and are not accompanied by nuchal rigidity. ***D. Cryptococcus is an opportunistic fungal infection that affects immunocompromised patients, including those with HIV, chronic steroid use, organ transplants, diabetes mellitus, and chronic renal or liver disease. The most common clinical presentation is that of meningitis; fever is present in only about half of patients.
***A. Fine needle aspiration is fairly accurate, easily performed, and has minimal morbidity. B. Although BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genetic tests are used in the risk assessment for possible breast and ovarian cancer, it would not replace the need to perform a more definitive evaluation of an identified breast mass. C. Serum CA-125 is a tumor marker for ovarian, not breast, cancer. D. Radiation therapy is only indicated after a diagnosis of breast cancer is proven and may be used as adjunctive therapy.
A. See B for explanation. ***B. At 20-22 weeks, the fundal height is typically at the level of the umbilicus. C. See B for explanation. D. See B for explanation.
A. Drooling and a “hot potato” voice are seen with epiglottitis, not viral croup. B. Fever is usually absent or low-grade in patients with viral croup. C. See A for explanation. ***D. Viral croup is characterized by a history of upper respiratory tract symptoms followed by onset of a barking cough and stridor.
A. A chest x-ray should be ordered in an asthmatic patient only if you are concerned about the presence of pneumonia or pneumothorax, neither of which is supported by the H&P findings noted above. B. A sputum gram stain is performed in patients who you suspect have an infectious process, such as pneumonia. ***C. A peak flow reading will help you to gauge her current extent of airflow obstruction and is helpful in monitoring the effectiveness of any treatment interventions. D. A ventilation-perfusion scan (V/Q scan) is indicated in cases of suspected pulmonary embolism. The patient above does not have any risk factors that would lead you to suspect such a diagnosis.
***A. Up to 50% of patients with atopic dermatitis develop asthma and/or allergic rhinitis in the future. B. Patients with atopic dermatitis are more likely to get superimposed viral or bacterial infections such as herpes simplex or staphylococcal, but they are not more at risk for fungal infections. C. Patients with atopic dermatitis are at no greater risk for any skin cancer. D. Lupus is a connective tissue disorder of the immune system, but unrelated to atopic dermatitis.
A. See B for explanation. ***B. The patient most likely has Kawasaki syndrome. The major complication with this disorder is coronary artery aneurysms, which are reported in up to 20% of affected children. The etiology of this disorder is uncertain, although a bacterial toxin with super antigen properties may be involved. C. See B for explanation. D. Children with Kawasaki syndrome may have associated hydrops of the gallbladder, but liver involvement is not part of this disorder.
***A. Calcium channel blockers are effective prophylactically to treat coronary vasospasm associated with variant or Prinzmetal’s angina. B. ACE inhibitors are not a treatment for coronary vasospasm. (h)C. Beta blockers have been noted to exacerbate coronary vasospasm potentially leading to worsening ischemia. D. Angiotensin II receptor blockers are not a treatment for coronary vasospasm.
(h)A. Oral hypoglycemic agents have no role in the treatment of gestational diabetes as these drugs may cross the placenta and harm the fetus. ***B. Regular insulin is the drug of choice as this will maintain the mother’s blood sugar but not cross the placenta. (h)C. Oral corticosteroids have no role in the treatment of gestational diabetes. Corticosteroids will cause the blood glucose to increase. D. Glucagon is given to patients when their blood glucose is abnormally low. Glucagon stimulates gluconeogenesis.