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Question 1
Correct
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An 8-week-old baby was found to have bilateral cataracts. Further investigation revealed thrombocytopenia, a patent ductus arteriosus and hepatosplenomegaly. Which of the following is the most probable diagnosis?
Your Answer: Rubella
Explanation:The clinical presentation is suggestive of congenital rubella syndrome. The classic triad of presenting symptoms includes sensorineural hearing loss, ocular abnormalities (cataract, infantile glaucoma, and pigmentary retinopathy) and congenital heart disease (patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary artery stenosis). Other findings in congenital rubella syndrome include CNS abnormalities (mental retardation, behavioural disorders, encephalographic abnormalities, hypotonia, meningoencephalitis, and microcephaly), hepatosplenomegaly, and jaundice.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Infectious Diseases
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Question 2
Incorrect
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A 13-year-old boy is brought to your clinic with a complaint of delayed puberty. While examining the patient which of the following features is most likely to indicate that pubertal change may have commenced?
Your Answer: Appearance of axillary hair
Correct Answer: Increase in testicular volume
Explanation:In boys, the first manifestation of puberty is testicular enlargement; the normal age for initial signs of puberty is 9 to 14 years in males. Pubic hair in boys generally appears 18 to 24 months after the onset of testicular growth and is often conceived as the initial marker of sexual maturation by male adolescents.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
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Question 3
Incorrect
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A 24 yr. old male with a history of a cardiac murmur which was not properly followed up, presented with right sided hemiparesis. His blood pressure was 120/70 mmHg. His ECG revealed right bundle branch block with right axis deviation. Which of the following is the most likely cause for this presentation?
Your Answer: Patent ductus arteriosus
Correct Answer: Ostium secundum atrial septal defect
Explanation:Ostium secundum atrial septal defects are known to cause stroke due to the passage of emboli from the right sided circulation to the left sided circulation. ECG shows tall, peaked P waves (usually best seen in leads II and V2) and prolongation of the PR interval, rSR pattern in leads V3 R and V1 as well as right axis deviation.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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Question 4
Correct
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A 26-year-old technician with no past medical history presents to the neurology clinic complaining of muscle pain. He describes severe bilateral cramping calf pain on minimal exercise. This has been present since his late teens and as such he has avoided exercise. Recently, he has attended the local gym to try and lose weight, but attempts at exercise have been dampened by the pain. He does note that if he perseveres with exercise, the pain settles. He has noticed passing dark urine in the evenings following a prolonged bout of exercise. Which of the following clinical tests would be most useful in aiding the diagnosis in this patient?
Your Answer: Muscle biopsy
Explanation:The differential diagnosis of bilateral exercise-induced pain would include metabolic muscle disease, lumbar canal stenosis and intermittent claudication. The patient’s age, history and lack of other risk factors make the latter two options unlikely.
The syndrome described is in fact McArdle’s disease (myophosphorylase deficiency). This is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism. Clinical features of pain and fatigue are precipitated in early exercise, as carbohydrates cannot be mobilized to provide an energy substrate to the muscle. With prolonged exercise, fatty acid metabolism provides energy, and symptoms lessen. The dark urine described is likely to represent myoglobinuria following rhabdomyolysis. Definitive diagnosis of most metabolic muscle diseases relies on muscle biopsy and enzyme analysis.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Neurology
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Question 5
Correct
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A 60 yr. old male patient with NSTEMI was started on low dose aspirin as secondary prevention. Which of the following, describe the action of aspirin as an antiplatelet agent?
Your Answer: Inhibits the production of thromboxane A2
Explanation:The antithrombotic action of aspirin is due to inhibition of platelet function by acetylation of the platelet cyclooxygenase (COX) at the functionally important amino acid serine529. This prevents the access of the substrate (arachidonic aid) to the catalytic site of the enzyme at tyrosine385 and results in an irreversible inhibition of platelet-dependent thromboxane formation.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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Question 6
Correct
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Which of the following is the mechanism of action of bivalirudin in acute coronary syndrome?
Your Answer: Reversible direct thrombin inhibitor
Explanation:Bivalirudin is a competitive, direct thrombin inhibitor. It inhibits both free and clot-bound thrombin and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. Thrombin enables fibrinogen conversion to fibrin during the coagulation cascade. So inhibition of fibrinogen conversion to fibrin inhibits thrombus development.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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Question 7
Correct
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A 42-year-old man with a 6 month history of progressive weakness of both lower limbs, complains of lethargy and of difficulties climbing stairs. He also claims he's experienced muscle loss in his lower limbs. History reveals type 2 diabetes mellitus and heavy alcohol use for the last 4 years. Clinical examination reveals marked loss of fine touch and proprioception. The distribution is in a stocking manner and bilateral. However, no evidence of ataxia is present. What is the most probable diagnosis?
Your Answer: Dry beriberi
Explanation:Hypovitaminosis B1, consistent with dry beriberi is crucially a treatable condition, although sometimes with incomplete recovery, but it is probably under-recognized yet increasingly common given increasing levels of alcohol abuse in the western world. Dry beriberi or ‘acute nutritional polyneuropathy’ is considered to be rare in the western world. Rapid deterioration can occur, typically with weakness, paraesthesia and neuropathic pain. Striking motor nerve involvement can occur, mimicking Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). In the context of increasing alcohol abuse in the western world, it is possible that alcoholic neuropathy associated with abrupt deterioration due to concomitant nutritional hypovitaminosis B1 may be seen increasingly often.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Clinical Sciences
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Question 8
Correct
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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: 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 9
Correct
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A baby is born to a mother who is known to have chronic hepatitis B. The mothers latest results are as follows: HBsAg: Positive, HBeAg: Positive. What is the most appropriate strategy for reducing the vertical transmission rate?
Your Answer: Give the newborn hepatitis B vaccine + hepatitis B immunoglobulin
Explanation:The Green Book guidelines report in an active infection (HBeAg+ and HBsAg+) to give the vaccine as well as immunoglobulin. If antibodies are present it is not active infection (anti-Hbe) and then in that case only the vaccine, and no immunoglobulin, would be given. The presence of HBeAg means a person is infectious and can transmit to other people.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastroenterology
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Question 10
Incorrect
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A 76 year old female who is admitted to the ward complains that she is experiencing visual hallucinations. She was admitted following a decline in mobility that was thought to be secondary to a urinary tract infection. Improvements have been seen clinically and biochemically while she has been admitted and she is currently awaiting discharge. Upon review, she states that she has seen wolves walking around her bed. She has a background of hypertension, depression and age-related macular degeneration. What is the most appropriate step in this patient's management?
Your Answer: Prescribe 40mg of chlordiazepoxide
Correct Answer: Reassure the patient
Explanation:Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) involves visual hallucinations due to eye disease, usually associated with a sharp decline in vision. The phenomenon is seen in patients with moderate or severe visual impairment. It can occur spontaneously as the vision declines or it may be precipitated, in predisposed individuals, by concurrent illness such as infections elsewhere in the body.
It is not clear why CBS develops or why some individuals appear to be predisposed to it. It is particularly noted in patients with advanced macular degeneration. It has been suggested that reduced or absent stimulation of the visual system leads to increased excitability of the visual cortex (deafferentation hypothesis). This release phenomenon is compared to phantom limb symptoms after amputation.
CBS is much more common in older patients because conditions causing marked visual loss are more common in older people. However, it can occur at any age and has been described in children.
The prevalence is hard to assess due to considerable under-reporting, perhaps because patients frequently fear that it is a sign of mental illness or dementia. However, it is thought to occur in:
About 10-15% of patients with moderate visual loss.
Possibly up to 50% of people with severe visual loss.
Presentation:
The nature of the hallucination depends on the part of the brain that is activated. The hallucinations may be black and white or in colour. They may involve grids/brickwork/lattice patterns but are typically much more complex:The hallucinations are always outside the body.
The hallucinations are purely visual – other senses are not involved.
The hallucinations have no personal meaning to the patient.
Hallucinations may last seconds, minutes or hours.
CBS tends to occur in a ‘state of quiet restfulness’. This may be after a meal or when listening to the radio (but not when dozing off).
Symptoms also have a tendency to occur in dim lighting conditions.
Patients may report high levels of distress, with some patients reporting anger, anxiety and even fear associated with the hallucinations. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Psychiatry
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Question 11
Incorrect
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Choose the correct statement regarding the standard error of the mean:
Your Answer: Is the square root of standard deviation
Correct Answer: Gets smaller as the sample size increases
Explanation:When statistically comparing data sets, researchers estimate the population of each sample and examine them to see whether they are identical. The standard error of the mean (SEM) – not the standard deviation (SD), which represents the variation in the sample – is used to estimate the population mean. Via this process, researchers conclude that the sample used in their studies appropriately represents the population within the error range specified by the pre-set significance level.
The SEM is smaller than the SD, as the SEM is estimated usually with the SD divided by the square root of the sample size. For this reason, researchers are tempted to use the SEM when describing their samples. It is acceptable to use either the SEM or SD to compare two different groups if the sample sizes of the two groups are equal; however, the sample size must be stated in order to deliver accurate information. For example, when a population has a large amount of variation, the SD of an extracted sample from this population must be large. However, the SEM will be small if the sample size is deliberately increased. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Clinical Sciences
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Question 12
Correct
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A prescription for Olanzapine is written for a 28 year old lady with a history of schizophrenia. Which adverse effect is she most likely to experience?
Your Answer: Weight gain
Explanation:Weight gain is an extremely common (5-40%) adverse effect of atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine (dose dependent). Olanzapine causes orthostatic hypotension ≥20% of reported cases. Parkinsonism reactions occurs in 4% of people.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Psychiatry
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Question 13
Correct
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A 40-year-old man presents with recurrent headaches, 2-3 times a day, associated with sweating and palpitations. His blood pressure during the attacks is around 220/120 mmHg. Given the likely diagnosis, what is the next appropriate investigation?
Your Answer: 24 hour urinary collection of metanephrines
Explanation:Classically, pheochromocytoma manifests with the following 4 characteristics:
– Headaches
– Palpitations
– Sweating
– Severe hypertensionThe Endocrine Society, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, and the European Society of Endocrinology have released clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of pheochromocytoma.
Biochemical testing via measurement of plasma free metanephrines or urinary fractionated metanephrines should be performed in patients suspected of having pheochromocytoma.Catecholamines produced by pheochromocytomas are metabolized within chromaffin cells. Norepinephrine is metabolized to normetanephrine and epinephrine is metabolized to metanephrine. Because this process occurs within the tumour, independently of catecholamine release, pheochromocytomas are best diagnosed by measurement of these metabolites rather than by measurement of the parent catecholamines.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Endocrinology
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Question 14
Correct
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A 16-year-old boy suffers recurrent episodes of haematuria following a flu-like illness. He is otherwise well. Physical examination is normal. Urinalysis reveals no proteinuria, blood ++, and 2–3 white blood cells/mm3.  What is the most probable diagnosis?
Your Answer: IgA nephropathy
Explanation:IgA nephropathy’s characteristic presentation is haematuria following a non-specific upper respiratory infection as was evident in this case. IgA nephropathy also usually occurs in children and young males, like this patient.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Nephrology
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Question 15
Incorrect
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A patient with chronic renal failure, treated with regular haemodialysis, attends the renal clinic. He has been treated for six months with oral ferrous sulphate, 200 mg three times a day. His haemoglobin at this clinic attendance is 7.6. His previous result was 10.6 six months ago. Â Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment?
Your Answer: Commence SC erythropoietin
Correct Answer: IV iron and subcutaneous erythropoietin
Explanation:The patient should be prescribed IV iron and subcutaneous erythropoietin to enhance erythropoiesis to address the dropped haemoglobin.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Nephrology
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Question 16
Incorrect
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A 4-year-old girl is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after presenting with lethargy and easy bruising. Which of the following is a marker of a bad prognosis in this disease?
Your Answer: Female sex
Correct Answer: Philadelphia chromosome positive
Explanation:Philadelphia translocation, t(9;22), is a marker of poor prognosis in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
ALL is the malignancy of lymphoid progenitor cells affecting B or T cell lineage. This results in the arrest of lymphoid cell maturation and proliferation of immature blast cells (lymphoblasts), leading to bone marrow and tissue infiltration.
ALL is the most common type of childhood cancers. Its peak incidence is between two to three years of age.
Acute B lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) is the most common type of ALL, involving overproduction of B-cell lymphoblasts. It is manifested by low initial WCC and is associated with a good prognosis.
Poor prognostic factors for ALL include:
1. Pre-B cell or T-cell ALL (T-ALL)
2. Philadelphia translocation, t(9;22)
3. Age <2 years or >10 years
4. Male sex
5. CNS involvement
6. High initial WBC (e.g. >100 x 10^9/L)
7. non-Caucasian -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Haematology & Oncology
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Question 17
Correct
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A 66 year old COPD patient visits the clinic for a review. He has no increase in his sputum volume or change in its colour. He has been a smoker for 39 years and previously worked at the shipping docks. On examination, he is pursed lip breathing but managing complete sentences. Investigations: BP is 141/72 mmHg Pulse 82 bpm and regular Sp(O2) 92% on room air RR 19 breaths/min Temperature 37.1°C. Examination of his chest revealed a widespread wheeze with coarse crepitations heard in the L mid-zone. FEV1 :FVC ratio in the clinic today was 68%.  Which of the following would be the most useful investigation that should be performed to establish the diagnosis?
Your Answer: High-resolution CT thorax
Explanation:High-resolution CT (HRCT) scanning is more sensitive than standard chest radiography and is highly specific for diagnosing emphysema (outlined bullae are not always visible on a radiograph).
HRCT scanning may provide an adjunct means of diagnosing various forms of COPD (i.e., lower lobe disease may suggest AAT deficiency) and may help the clinician to determine whether surgical intervention would benefit the patient.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Respiratory
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Question 18
Incorrect
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A 35-year-old woman under treatment for long-term epilepsy with valproate presented with complaints of excessive weight gain. She is consuming oral contraceptive pills. Which among the following is the best alternative to valproate for treating long-term epilepsy?
Your Answer: Phenytoin
Correct Answer: Lamotrigine
Explanation:Among the given anti-epileptics the best drug that can be given in this patient is lamotrigine.
Topiramate, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and phenobarbital are all hepatic enzyme inducers and are associated with decreased effectiveness of the oral contraceptive (OCP) due to acceleration of the metabolism of oestrogens and progestogens.
If she is planning on pregnancy then registry studies suggest that lamotrigine would also be the best choice.
Other hepatic enzyme inducers include rifampicin, spironolactone, griseofulvin, etc. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Pharmacology
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Question 19
Incorrect
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A 21-year-old woman presents with lethargy and confusion. On examination, you note a purpuric rash covering the abdominal wall and thighs, and a fever of 38C. Investigations reveal haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury. Â Which feature of the presentation makes the diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura more likely than haemolytic uremic syndrome?
Your Answer: Thrombocytopenia
Correct Answer: Confusion
Explanation:Confusion in the patient refers to neurological symptoms that are more associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura than with haemolytic uremic syndrome. All the other symptoms present in both conditions similarly.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Nephrology
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Question 20
Incorrect
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Which type of lung cancer is most commonly linked to cavitating lesions?
Your Answer: Adenocarcinoma
Correct Answer: Squamous cell
Explanation:Squamous-cell carcinoma is the most common histological type of lung cancer to cavitate (82% of cavitary primary lung cancer), followed by adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Multiple cavitary lesions in primary lung cancer are rare, however, multifocal bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma can occasionally have multiple cavitary lesions. Small cell carcinoma is not known to cavitate.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Respiratory
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Question 21
Correct
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A 25-year-old pregnant mother who is known to have hepatitis B gave birth to a male infant. She is now concerned about her child contracting hep B. Which of the following is the most suitable option for the baby in this case?
Your Answer: HepB full vaccine and Ig
Explanation:Hepatitis B full vaccine and Ig should be given to babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers. Hepatitis B vaccine alone or Ig alone is not sufficient to prevent the infection in the new-born baby.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Infectious Diseases
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Question 22
Correct
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A 41-year-old female is referred to medical assessment unit by her physician for querying thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) after she presented with a temperature of 38.9C. Her subsequent urea and electrolytes showed deteriorating renal function with a creatinine 3 times greater than her baseline. What is the underlying pathophysiology of TTP?
Your Answer: Failure to cleave von Willebrand factor normally
Explanation:Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is characterised by the von Willebrand factor (vWF) microthrombi within the vessels of multiple organs. In this condition, the ADAMTS13 metalloprotease enzyme which is responsible for the breakdown of vWF multimer, is deficient, causing its build-up and leading to platelet clots that then decreases the circulating platelets, leading to bleeding in the patient.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Nephrology
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Question 23
Incorrect
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A 60 year old male patient with a history of heavy smoking was admitted complaining of acute severe central chest pain for the past one hour. His blood pressure was 150/90 mmHg and pulse rate was 88 bpm. His peripheral oxygen saturation was 93%. ECG showed ST elevation > 2mm in lead II, III and aVF. He was given loading doses of aspirin, clopidogrel and atorvastatin and face mask oxygen was given. Which one of the following investigations should be done and then depending on result, definitive treatment can be initiated?
Your Answer: Troponin I
Correct Answer: None
Explanation:The history and ECG findings are adequate to begin cardiac revascularization of this patient. There is no need for cardiac markers to confirm the diagnosis. Further delay in starting definite treatment is not recommended.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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Question 24
Incorrect
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A 72 yr. old male with a history of type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension for 15 years, presented with gradual onset difficulty in breathing on exertion and bilateral ankle swelling for the past 3 months. On examination he had mild ankle oedema. His JVP was not elevated. His heart sounds were normal but he had bibasal crepitations on auscultation. Which of the following clinical signs has the greatest sensitivity in detecting heart failure in this patient?
Your Answer: Oedema
Correct Answer: Third heart sound
Explanation:The presence of a third heart sound is the most sensitive indicator of heart failure. All of the other signs can be found in heart failure with varying degrees.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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Question 25
Correct
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A 44-year-old hairdresser with a history of myasthenia gravis is admitted to the Emergency Department. She is currently taking pyridostigmine, but there has been a significant worsening of her symptoms following antibiotic treatment for a chest infection. On examination she is dyspnoeic and cyanotic with quiet breath sounds in both lungs. Other than respiratory support, what are the two other treatments of choice?
Your Answer: Plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulins
Explanation:This patient is having a myasthenic crisis. Opinions vary as to whether plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulins should be given first-line. Plasmapheresis usually works much faster, but is more costly due to equipment.
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder resulting in insufficient functioning acetylcholine receptors. Antibodies to acetylcholine receptors are seen in 85-90% of cases. Myasthenia gravis is more common in women (2:1). -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Neurology
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Question 26
Correct
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A man was admitted to the hospital and developed varicella zoster after 48h. Which of the following categories of people should be administered immunoglobulin only?
Your Answer: All pregnant women who are tested negative for antibodies.
Explanation:Immunoglobulin should be given to all seronegative women within 4 days. However, it is strongly advised to seek medical care immediately if the disease develops.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Infectious Diseases
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Question 27
Incorrect
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A 42 year old female with a history of SLE presents with an exacerbation of wrist pain. Which of the following markers would be the most suitable for monitoring disease activity?
Your Answer: Anti-nuclear antibody titres
Correct Answer: Anti-dsDNA titres
Explanation:A high level of anti-dsDNA in the blood is strongly associated with lupus and is often significantly increased during or just prior to a flare-up. When the anti-dsDNA is positive and the person tested has other clinical signs and symptoms associated with lupus, it means that the person tested likely has lupus. This is especially true if an anti-Sm test is also positive.
In the evaluation of someone with lupus nephritis, a high level (titre) of anti-dsDNA is generally associated with ongoing inflammation and damage to the kidneys.
A very low level of anti-dsDNA is considered negative but does not exclude a diagnosis of lupus. Only about 65-85% of those with lupus will have anti-dsDNA.
Low to moderate levels of the autoantibody may be seen with other autoimmune disorders, such as Sjögren syndrome and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Rheumatology
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Question 28
Correct
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Question 29
Correct
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You want to measure the potential benefit of creating a service dedicated to patients with multiple sclerosis in the local area. Which factor would determine how many resources will be required?
Your Answer: Prevalence
Explanation:To describe how often a disease or another health event occurs in a population, different measures of disease frequency can be used. The prevalence reflects the number of existing cases of a disease. In contrast to the prevalence, the incidence reflects the number of new cases of disease and can be reported as a risk or as an incidence rate. Prevalence and incidence are used for different purposes and to answer different research questions.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Clinical Sciences
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Question 30
Correct
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A 60 yr. old female presented after an acute overdose of amiodarone. Her blood pressure was 110/70 mmHg and pulse rate was 35 bpm. She was given 500mcg of atropine but there was no response. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step?
Your Answer: Isoprenaline
Explanation:Permanent pacing is not indicated as the bradycardia is reversible. Temporary pacing is the definite treatment. Isoprenaline can be used until temporary pacing is available.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Cardiology
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
