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Question 1
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A 45-year-old woman with a history of hypothyroidism, presents with ptosis and muscle weakness. She's noticed that her muscle weakness becomes worse towards the end of the day. Clinical examination reveals fatigable ptosis and proximal limb weakness. Myasthenia gravis is suspected. Which receptor is implicated in the pathophysiology of this condition?
Your Answer: Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors
Correct Answer: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Explanation:Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease caused by an antibody-mediated assault on the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) at the neuromuscular junction. Binding of antibodies to the AChR leads to loss of functional AChRs and impairs the neuromuscular signal transmission, resulting in muscular weakness.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Clinical Sciences
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Question 2
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A 16-year-old boy is being treated with ADH for diabetes insipidus. His blood results show: fasting plasma glucose level: 6 mmol/l (3– 6), sodium 148 mmol/l (137–144), potassium 4.5 mmol/l (3.5–4.9), calcium 2.8 mmol/l (2.2–2.6). However, he still complains of polyuria, polydipsia and nocturia. What could be the most probable cause?
Your Answer: Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
Explanation:Diabetes insipidus (DI) is defined as the passage of large volumes (>3 L/24 hr) of dilute urine (< 300 mOsm/kg). It has the following 2 major forms:
Central (neurogenic, pituitary, or neurohypophyseal) DI, characterized by decreased secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH; also referred to as arginine vasopressin [AVP])
Nephrogenic DI, characterized by decreased ability to concentrate urine because of resistance to ADH action in the kidney.
The boy most probably has nephrogenic diabetes insidious (DI) not central DI so he is not responding to the ADH treatment. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
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Question 3
Correct
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What is the rationale concerning the use of sodium cromoglycate in the prophylaxis of bronchial asthma?
Your Answer: Inhibition of mast-cell degranulation
Explanation:Sodium cromoglycate principally acts by inhibiting the degranulation of mast cells triggered by the interaction of antigen and IgE.
The inhibitory effect on mast cells appears to be cell-type specific since cromoglycate has little inhibitory effect on mediator release from human basophils.
Thus, it inhibits the release of histamine, leukotrienes, and slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis from mast cells by inhibiting degranulation following exposure to reactive antigens.Adverse effects include cough, flushing, palpitation, chest pain, nasal congestion, nausea, fatigue, migraine, etc.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Pharmacology
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Question 4
Incorrect
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A 61-year-old chef with a known history of Paget's disease is noted to have irregular dark red lines radiating from the optic nerve. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer: Retinitis pigmentosa
Correct Answer: Angioid retinal streaks
Explanation:Angioid retinal streaks are seen on fundoscopy as irregular dark red streaks radiating from the optic nerve head. They are caused by degeneration, calcification and breaks in Bruch’s membrane. They are typically associated with Paget’s disease.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Ophthalmology
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Question 5
Incorrect
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A 75 year old man was admitted to the hospital with worsening dyspnoea. He was given a five day course of Amoxicillin. On examination, his blood pressure was 89/59 mmHg with a respiratory rate of 35/min. A chest x-ray revealed left lower lobe consolidation. Past medical history: Type 2 diabetes mellitus Arterial blood gas on air: pH 7.34 pCO2 5.4 kPa pO2 9.0 kPa Which antibiotic therapy is the most suitable?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Intravenous co-amoxiclav + clarithromycin
Explanation:CURB Pneumonia Severity Score:
– Confusion (abbreviated Mental Test Score <=8) (1 point)
– Urea (BUN > 19 mg/dL or 7 mmol/L) (1 point)
– Respiratory Rate > 30 per minute (1 point)
– Blood Pressure: diastolic < 60 or systolic < 90 mmHg (1 point) Based on the CURB Pneumonia Severity Score, the patient has severe pneumonia. According to the 2009 Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Joint Commission consensus guidelines, inpatient treatment of pneumonia should be given within four hours of hospital admission (or in the emergency department if this is where the patient initially presented) and should consist of the following antibiotic regimens, which are also in accordance with IDSA/ATS guidelines. For non-intensive care unit (ICU) patients:
Beta-lactam (intravenous [IV] or intramuscular [IM] administration) plus macrolide (IV or oral [PO])
Beta-lactam (IV or IM) plus doxycycline (IV or PO)
Antipneumococcal quinolone monotherapy (IV or IM)If the patient is younger than 65 years with no risk factors for drug-resistant organisms, administer macrolide monotherapy (IV or PO)
For ICU patients:
IV beta-lactam plus IV macrolide
IV beta-lactam plus IV antipneumococcal quinoloneIf the patient has a documented beta-lactam allergy, administer IV antipneumococcal quinolone plus IV aztreonam.
The most suitable antibiotic therapy for this patient is therefore Intravenous co-amoxiclav + clarithromycin.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Respiratory
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Question 6
Incorrect
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A 64 year old woman with ankylosing spondylitis presents with cough, weight loss and tiredness. Her chest x-ray shows longstanding upper lobe fibrosis. Three sputum tests stain positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) but are consistently negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis on culture. Which of the following is the most likely causative agent?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Mycobacterium avium intracellular complex
Explanation:Pulmonary mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection in immunocompetent hosts generally manifests as cough, sputum production, weight loss, fever, lethargy, and night sweats. The onset of symptoms is insidious.
In patients who may have pulmonary infection with MAC, diagnostic testing includes acid-fast bacillus (AFB) staining and culture of sputum specimens.The ATS/IDSA guidelines include clinical, radiographic, and bacteriologic criteria to establish a diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease.
Clinical criteria are as follows:
Pulmonary signs and symptoms such as cough, fatigue, weight loss; less commonly, fever and weight loss; dyspnoea
Appropriate exclusion of other diseases (e.g., carcinoma, tuberculosis).
At least 3 sputum specimens, preferably early-morning samples taken on different days, should be collected for AFB staining and culture. Sputum AFB stains are positive for MAC in most patients with pulmonary MAC infection. Mycobacterial cultures grow MAC in about 1-2 weeks, depending on the culture technique and bacterial burden.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Respiratory
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Question 7
Incorrect
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A 32-year-old gentleman presents to his GP with a 2 month history of constant abdominal pain and early satiety. He has hypertension for which he takes enalapril. On examination, he has mild tenderness on both flanks. Well-circumscribed masses are palpable in both the left and right flanks. A soft systolic murmur is heard loudest at the apex. His observations are heart rate 67/min, blood pressure 152/94mmHg, temperature 37.2C, respiratory rate 14/min, saturations 97%. Which additional feature is most likely to be found in this patient?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Hepatomegaly
Explanation:This patient shows classic symptoms of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The abdominal pain and early satiety is caused by the enlarged kidneys that were apparent from the physical examination. Additionally, hypertension is a common symptom along with the systolic murmur that was heard, suggesting mitral valve involvement. In ADPKD cases, the most common extra-renal manifestation is the development of liver cysts which are associated with hepatomegaly.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Nephrology
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Question 8
Incorrect
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A 60-year-old man presents to his GP complaining of a cough and breathlessness for 2 weeks. He reports that before the onset of these symptoms, he was fit and well and was not on any medication. He is a known smoker of 10 cigarettes per day and has been smoking for over 25 years. On examination, the GP diagnosed a mild viral chest infection and reassured the patient that the symptoms would settle of their own accord. Two weeks later, the patient presented again to the GP, this time complaining of thirst, polyuria and generalised muscle weakness. The GP noticed the presence of ankle oedema. A prick test confirmed the presence of hyperglycaemia and the patient was referred to the hospital for investigations where the medical registrar ordered a variety of blood tests. Some of these results are shown: Na 144 mmol/L, K 2.2 mmol/L, Bicarbonate 34 mmol/L, Glucose 16 mmol/L. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Ectopic ACTH production
Explanation:The patient has small cell lung cancer presented by paraneoplastic syndrome; Ectopic ACTH secretion.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), previously known as oat cell carcinoma is a neuroendocrine carcinoma that exhibits aggressive behaviour, rapid growth, early spread to distant sites, exquisite sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiation, and a frequent association with distinct paraneoplastic syndromes.
Common presenting signs and symptoms of the disease, which very often occur in advanced-stage disease, include the following:
– Shortness of breath
– Cough
– Bone pain
– Weight loss
– Fatigue
– Neurologic dysfunction
Most patients with this disease present with a short duration of symptoms, usually only 8-12 weeks before presentation. The clinical manifestations of SCLC can result from local tumour growth, intrathoracic spread, distant spread, and/or paraneoplastic syndromes.
SIADH is present in 15% of the patients and Ectopic secretion of ACTH is present in 2-5% of the patients leading to ectopic Cushing’s syndrome. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
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Question 9
Incorrect
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A 25-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with a 3 day history of feeling generally unwell, with fatigue, arthralgia and pruritis. She had recently finished a 5 day course of antibiotics for a urinary tract infection but there was no other significant past medical history. She had no significant findings on clinical examination except for a widespread erythematous rash. Investigation results are below: Haemoglobin (Hb) 12.6 g/dL, White cell count (WCC) 13.0 × 109/l (eosinophilia) Platelets 390 × 109/L, Creatinine 720 μmol/L, Na+ 135 mmol/L, K+ 5.2 mmol/L, Urea 22.0 mmol/L, Urinalysis Protein ++ blood + What is the most important investigation to establish the diagnosis?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: Renal biopsy
Explanation:There is a strong suspicion of drug-induced acute tubulo-interstitial nephritis with the classic triad of symptoms of rash, joint pain and eosinophils in the blood, associated with non-specific symptoms of fever and fatigue. This can be confirmed with renal biopsy showing interstitial oedema with a heavy infiltrate of inflammatory cells and variable tubular necrosis.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Nephrology
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Question 10
Incorrect
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A 50 yr. old male patient presented with acute chest pain and a non ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was diagnosed. He was threated with aspirin 300mg and 2 puffs of glyceral trin (GTN) spray. According to NICE guidelines, which of the following categories of patients should receive clopidogrel?
Your Answer:
Correct Answer: All patients
Explanation:According to NICE guidelines (2013) all people who have had an acute MI treatment should be offered with ACE inhibitor, dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus a second antiplatelet agent), a beta-blocker and a statin.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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