APE Final Exam 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS 2024/2025 CORRECT, Exams of Nursing

Download APE Final Exam 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS 2024/2025 CORRECT and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! APE Final Exam 100% VERIFIED ANSWERS 2024/2025 CORRECT The components of the health history include all of the following except which one? A) Review of systems B) Thorax C) History of present illness D) Social history B The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient has had abdominal pain for 1 week. The pain lasts for 30 minutes at a time; it comes and goes. The severity is 7 to 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is located in the mid-epigastric area." Which of these categories does it belong to? A) Chief complaint B) History of present illness C) Social history D) Review of systems B The following information is recorded in the health history: "I feel really tired." Which category does it belong to? A) Chief complaint B) History present illness C) Social history D) Review of systems A A 37-year-old nurse comes for evaluation of colicky right upper quadrant abdominal pain. The pain is associated with nausea and vomiting and occurs 1 to 2 hours after eating greasy foods. Which one of the following physical examination descriptions would be most consistent with the diagnosis of cholecystitis? A) Abdomen is soft, nontender, and nondistended, without hepatosplenomegaly or masses. B) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right lower quadrant, without rebound or guarding. C) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right upper quadrant with inspiration, to the point of stopping inspiration, and there is no rebound or guarding. D) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the mid-epigastric area, without rebound or guarding. C Mr. Larson is a 42-year-old widowed father of two children, ages 4 and 11. He works in a sales office to support his family. Recently he has injured his back and you are thinking he would benefit from physical therapy, three times a week, for an hour per session. What would be your next step? A) Write the physical therapy prescription. B) Have your office staff explain directions to the physical therapy center. C) Discuss the plan with Mr. Larson. D) Tell Mr. Larson that he will be going to physical therapy three times a week. C You are growing fatigued of performing a maneuver on examination because you have never found a positive and are usually pressed for time. How should you next approach this maneuver? A) Use this test when you have a higher suspicion for the correlating condition. B) Omit this test from future examinations. When you enter your patient's examination room, his wife is waiting there with him. Which of the following is most appropriate? A) Ask if it's okay to carry out the visit with both people in the room. B) Carry on as you would ordinarily. The permission is implied because his wife is in the room with him. C) Ask his wife to leave the room for reasons of confidentiality. D) First ask his wife what she thinks is going on. A A 15-year-old high school sophomore and her mother come to your clinic because the mother is concerned about her daughter's weight. You measure her daughter's height and weight and obtain a BMI of 19.5 kg/m2. Based on this information, which of the following is appropriate? A) Refer the patient to a nutritionist and a psychologist because the patient is anorexic. B) Reassure the mother that this is a normal body weight. C) Give the patient information about exercise because the patient is overweight. D) Give the patient information concerning reduction of fat and cholesterol in her diet because she is obese. B A 55-year-old bookkeeper comes to your office for a routine visit. You note that on a previous visit for treatment of contact dermatitis, her blood pressure was elevated. She does not have prior elevated readings and her family history is negative for hypertension. You measure her blood pressure in your office today. Which of the following factors can result in a false high reading? A) Blood pressure cuff is tightly fitted. B) Patient is seated quietly for 10 minutes prior to measurement. C) Blood pressure is measured on a bare arm. D) Patient's arm is resting, supported by your arm at her mid-chest level as you stand to measure the blood pressure. A A 49-year-old truck driver comes to the emergency room for shortness of breath and swelling in his ankles. He is diagnosed with congestive heart failure and admitted to the hospital. You are the student assigned to do the patient's complete history and physical examination. When you palpate the pulse, what do you expect to feel? A) Large amplitude, forceful B) Small amplitude, weak C) Normal D) Bigeminal B A 25-year-old type 1 diabetic clerk presents to the emergency room with shortness of breath and states that his blood sugar was 605 at home. You diagnose the patient with diabetic ketoacidosis. What is the expected pattern of breathing? A) Normal B) Rapid and shallow C) Rapid and deep (Kussmaul breathing) D) Slow C Mr. Curtiss has a history of obesity, diabetes, osteoarthritis of the knees, HTN, and obstructive sleep apnea. His BMI is 43 and he has been discouraged by his difficulty in losing weight. He is also discouraged that his goal weight is 158 pounds away. What would you tell him? A) "When you get down to your goal weight, you will feel so much better." B) "Some people seem to be able to lose weight and others just can't, no matter how hard they try." C) "We are coming up with new medicines and methods to treat your conditions every day." D) "Even a weight loss of 10% can make a noticeable improvement in the problems you mention." D Jenny is one of your favorite patients who usually shares a joke with you and is neatly dressed. Today she is dressed in old jeans, lacks makeup, and avoids eye contact. Which of the following is most likely? A) She is lacking sleep. B) She is fatigued from work. C) She is running into financial difficulty. D) She is depressed. D You are seeing an older patient who has not had medical care for many years. Her vital signs taken by your office staff are: T 37.2, HR 78, BP 118/92, and RR 14, and she denies pain. You notice that she has some hypertensive changes in her retinas and you find mild proteinuria on a urine test in your office. You expected the BP to be higher. She is not on any medications. What do you think is causing this BP reading, which doesn't correlate with the other findings? A) It is caused by an "auscultatory gap." B) It is caused by using too small of a cuff. C) It is caused by the patient's emotional state. D) It is caused by resolution of the process which caused her retinopathy and kidney problems. A Despite having high BP readings in the office, Mr. Kelly tells you that his readings at home are much lower. He checks them twice a day at the same time of day and has kept a log. How do you respond? A) You diagnose "white coat hypertension." B) You assume he is quite nervous when he comes to your office. C) You question the accuracy of his measurements. D) You question the accuracy of your measurements. C You are observing a patient with heart failure and notice that there are pauses in his breathing. On closer examination, you notice that after the pauses the patient takes progressively deeper breaths and then progressively shallower breaths, which are followed by another apneic spell. The patient is not in any distress. You make the diagnosis of: retired handyman. He has three children who are healthy. He denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. He has no other current symptoms. On examination he is in no acute distress but does seem embarrassed when it takes him so long to answer. His blood pressure is 150/90 and his other vital signs are normal. Other than his weak right arm and leg his physical examination is unremarkable. What disorder of speech does he have? A) Wernicke's aphasia B) Broca's aphasia C) Dysarthria D) Dysphagia B (You could argue for dysarthria but if it were dysarthria then you would also expect dysphagia and this pertinent negative better argues for broca's being correct) A 32-year-old white woman comes to your clinic, complaining of overwhelming sadness. She says for the past 2 months she has had crying episodes, difficulty sleeping, and problems with overeating. She says she used to go out with her friends from work but now she just wants to go home and be by herself. She also thinks that her work productivity has been dropping because she just is too tired to care or concentrate. She denies any feelings of guilt or any suicidal ideation. She states that she has never felt this way in the past. She denies any recent illness or injuries. Her past medical history consists of an appendectomy when she was a teenager; otherwise, she has been healthy. She is single and works as a clerk in a medical office. She denies tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drug use. Her mother has high blood pressure and her father has had a history of mental illness. On examination you see a woman appearing her stated age who seems quite sad. Her facial expression does not change while you talk to her and she makes little eye contact. She speaks so softly you cannot always understand her. Her thought processes and content seem unremarkable. What type of mood disorder do you think she has? A) Dysthymic disorder B) Manic (bipolar) disorder C) Major depressive episode D) Schizophrenic break C A 35-year-old stockbroker comes to your office, complaining of feeling tired and irritable. She also says she feels like nothing ever goes her way and that nothing good ever happens. When you ask her how long she has felt this way she laughs and says, "Since when have I not?" She relates that she has felt pessimistic about life in general since she was in high school. She denies any problems with sleep, appetite, or concentration, and states she hasn't thought about killing herself. She reports no recent illnesses or injuries. She is single. She smokes one pack of cigarettes a day, drinks occasionally, and hasn't taken any illegal drugs since college. Her mother suffers from depression and her father has high blood pressure. On examination her vital signs and physical examination are unremarkable. What mental health disorder best describes her symptoms? A) Major depressive episode B) Dysthymic disorder C) Cyclothymic disorder D) Schizophrenia B A 27-year-old woman is brought to your office by her mother. The mother tells you that her daughter has been schizophrenic for the last 8 years and is starting to decompensate despite medication. The patient states that she has been taking her antipsychotic and she is doing just fine. Her mother retorts that her daughter has become quite paranoid. When asked why, the mother gives an example about the mailman. She says that her daughter goes and gets the mail every day and then microwaves the letters. The patient agrees that she does this but only because she sees the mailman flipping through the envelopes and she knows he's putting anthrax on the letters. Her mother turns to her and says, "He's only sorting the mail!" Which best describes the patient's abnormality of perception? A) Illusion B) Hallucination C) Delusion D) Fugue state C A 22-year-old man is brought to your office by his father to discuss his son's mental health disorder. The patient was diagnosed with schizophrenia 6 months ago and has been taking medication since. The father states that his son's dose isn't high enough and you need to raise it. He states that his son has been hearing things that don't exist. You ask the young man what is going on and he tells you that his father is just jealous because his sister talks only to him. His father turns to him and says, "Son, you know your sister died 2 years ago!" His son replies "Well, she still talks to me in my head all the time!" Which best describes this patient's abnormality of perception? A) Catatonia B) Hallucination C) Delusion D) Fugue State B A 23-year-old ticket agent is brought in by her husband because he is concerned about her recent behavior. He states that for the last 2 weeks she has been completely out of control. He says that she hasn't showered in days, stays awake most of the night cleaning their apartment, and has run up over $1,000 on their credit cards. While he is talking, the patient interrupts him frequently and declares this is all untrue and she has never been so happy and fulfilled in her whole life. She speaks very quickly, changing the subject often. After a longer than normal interview you find out she has had no recent illnesses or injuries. Her past medical history is unremarkable. Both her parents are healthy but the husband has heard rumors about an aunt with similar symptoms. She and her husband have no children. She smokes one pack of cigarettes a day (although she has been chain-smoking in the last 2 weeks), drinks four to six drinks a week, and smokes marijuana occasionally. On examination she is very loud and outspoken. Her physical examination is unremarkable. Which mood disorder does she most likely have? A) Major depressive episode B) Manic episode A 28-year-old patient comes to the office for evaluation of a rash. At first there was only one large patch, but then more lesions erupted suddenly on the back and torso; the lesions itch. On physical examination, you note that the pattern of eruption is like a Christmas tree and that there are a variety of erythematous papules and macules on the cleavage lines of the back. Based on this description, what is the most likely diagnosis? A) Pityriasis rosea B) Tinea versicolor C) Psoriasis D) Atopic eczema A A 19-year-old construction worker presents for evaluation of a rash. He notes that it started on his back with a multitude of spots and is also on his arms, chest, and neck. It itches a lot. He does sweat more than before because being outdoors is part of his job. On physical examination, you note dark tan patches with a reddish cast that has sharp borders and fine scales, scattered more prominently around the upper back, chest, neck, and upper arms as well as under the arms. Based on this description, what is your most likely diagnosis? A) Pityriasis rosea B) Tinea versicolor C) Psoriasis D) Atopic eczema B A 58-year-old gardener comes to your office for evaluation of a new lesion on her upper chest. The lesion appears to be "stuck on" and is oval, brown, and slightly elevated with a flat surface. It has a rough, wartlike texture on palpation. Based on this description, what is your most likely diagnosis? A) Actinic keratosis B) Seborrheic keratosis C) Basal cell carcinoma D) Squamous cell carcinoma B A mother brings her 11 month old to you because her mother-in-law and others have told her that her baby is jaundiced. She is eating and growing well and performing the developmental milestones she should for her age. On examination you indeed notice a yellow tone to her skin from head to toe. Her sclerae are white. To which area should your next questions be related? A) Diet B) Family history of liver diseases C) Family history of blood diseases D) Ethnicity of the child A A new mother is concerned that her child occasionally "turns blue." On further questioning, she mentions that this is at her hands and feet. She does not remember the child's lips turning blue. She is otherwise eating and growing well. What would you do now? A) Reassure her that this is normal B) Obtain an echocardiogram to check for structural heart disease and consult cardiology C) Admit the child to the hospital for further observation D) Question the validity of her story A (lips not blue) You are examining an unconscious patient from another region and notice Beau's lines, a transverse groove across all of her nails, about 1 cm from the proximal nail fold. What would you do next? A) Conclude this is caused by a cultural practice. B) Conclude this finding is most likely secondary to trauma. C) Look for information from family and records regarding any problems which occurred 3 months ago. D) Ask about dietary intake. C Mrs. Anderson presents with an itchy rash which is raised and appears and disappears in various locations. Each lesion lasts for many minutes. What most likely accounts for this rash? A) Insect bites B) Urticaria or hives C) Psoriasis D) Purpura B A 38-year-old accountant comes to your clinic for evaluation of a headache. The throbbing sensation is located in the right temporal region and is an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. It started a few hours ago, and she has noted nausea with sensitivity to light; she has had headaches like this in the past, usually less than one per week, but not as severe. She does not know of any inciting factors. There has been no change in the frequency of her headaches. She usually takes an over- the-counter analgesic which results in resolution of the headache. Based on this description, what is the most likely diagnosis of the type of headache? A) Tension B) Migraine C) Cluster D) Analgesic rebound B A 29-year-old computer programmer comes to your office for evaluation of a headache. The tightening sensation is located all over the head and is of moderate intensity. It used to last minutes, but this time it has lasted for 5 days. He denies photophobia and nausea. He spends several hours each day at a computer monitor/keyboard. He has tried over-the-counter medication; it has dulled the pain but not taken it away. Based on this description, what is your most likely diagnosis? A) Tension B) Migraine C) Cluster D) Analgesic rebound A C) Corneal abrasion D) Subconjunctival hemorrhage D A 67-year-old lawyer comes to your clinic for an annual examination. He denies any history of eye trauma. He denies any visual changes. You inspect his eyes and find a triangular thickening of the bulbar conjunctiva across the outer surface of the cornea. He has a normal pupillary reaction to light and accommodation. Based on this description, what is the most likely diagnosis? A) Corneal arcus B) Cataracts C) Corneal scar D) Pterygium D Which of the following is a "red flag" regarding patients presenting with headache? A) Unilateral headache B) Pain over the sinuses C) Age over 50 D) Phonophobia and photophobia E) Nausea and vomiting C Sudden, painful unilateral loss of vision may be caused by which of the following conditions? A) Vitreous hemorrhage B) Central retinal artery occlusion C) Macular degeneration D) Optic neuritis D Diplopia, which is present with one eye covered, can be caused by which of the following problems? A) Weakness of CN III B) Weakness of CN IV C) A lesion of the brainstem D) An irregularity in the cornea or lens D A patient complains of epistaxis (nose bleed). Which other cause should be considered? A) Intracranial hemorrhage B) Hematemesis C) Intestinal hemorrhage D) Hematoma of the nasal septum D Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in African-Americans and the second leading cause of blindness overall. What features would be noted on funduscopic examination? A) Increased cup-to-disc ratio B) AV nicking C) Cotton wool spots D) Microaneurysms A Which of the following is a very sensitive methods for detecting hearing loss? A) The whisper test B) The finger rub test C) The tuning fork test D) Audiometric testing D A light is pointed at a patient's pupil, which contracts. It is also noted that the other pupil contracts as well, though it is not exposed to bright light. Which of the following terms describes this latter phenomenon? A) Direct reaction B) Consensual reaction C) Near reaction D) Accommodation B A patient is assigned a visual acuity of 20/100 in her left eye. Which of the following is true? A) She obtains a 20% correct score at 100 feet. B) She can accurately name 20% of the letters at 20 feet. C) She can see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision could see at 100 feet. D) She can see at 100 feet what a person with normal vision could see at 20 feet. C On visual confrontation testing, a stroke patient is unable to see your fingers on his entire right side with either eye covered. Which of the following terms would describe this finding? A) Bitemporal hemianopsia B) Right temporal hemianopsia C) Right homonymous hemianopsia D) Binasal hemianopsia C A patient presents with ear pain. She is an avid swimmer. The history includes pain and drainage from the left ear. On examination, she has pain when the ear is manipulated, including manipulation of the tragus. The canal is narrowed and erythematous, with some white debris in the canal. The rest of the examination is normal. What diagnosis would you assign this patient? A) Otitis media - middle ear B) External otitis C) Perforation of the tympanum D) Cholesteatoma What disorder of the thorax or lung best describes her symptoms? A) Spontaneous pneumothorax B) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C) Asthma D) Pneumonia D A 62-year-old construction worker presents to your clinic, complaining of almost a year of chronic cough and occasional shortness of breath. Although he has had worsening of symptoms occasionally with a cold, his symptoms have stayed about the same. The cough has occasional mucous drainage but never any blood. He denies any chest pain. He has had no weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. His past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and arthritis. He has smoked two packs a day for the past 45 years. He drinks occasionally but denies any illegal drug use. He is married and has two children. He denies any foreign travel. His father died of a heart attack and his mother died of Alzheimer's disease. On examination you see a man looking slightly older than his stated age. His blood pressure is 130/80 and his pulse is 88. He is breathing comfortably with respirations of 12. His head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are unremarkable. His cardiac examination is normal. On examination of his chest, the diameter seems enlarged. Breath sounds are decreased throughout all lobes. Rhonchi are heard over all lung fields. There is no area of dullness and no increased or decreased fremitus. What thorax or lung disorder is most likely causing his symptoms? A) Spontaneous pneumothorax B) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C) Asthma D) Pneumonia B A 36-year-old teacher presents to your clinic, complaining of sharp, knifelike pain on the left side of her chest for the last 2 days. Breathing and lying down make the pain worse, while sitting forward helps her pain. Tylenol and ibuprofen have not helped. Her pain does not radiate to any other area. She denies any upper respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms. Her past medical history consists of systemic lupus. She is divorced and has one child. She denies any tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother has hypothyroidism and her father has high blood pressure. On examination you find her to be distressed, leaning over and holding her left arm and hand to her left chest. Her blood pressure is 130/70, her respirations are 12, and her pulse is 90. On auscultation her lung fields have normal breath sounds with no rhonchi, wheezes, or crackles. Percussion and palpation are unremarkable. Auscultation of the heart has an S1 and S2 with no S3 or S4. A scratching noise is heard at the lower left sternal border, coincident with systole; leaning forward relieves some of her pain. She is nontender with palpation of the chest wall. What disorder of the chest best describes this disorder? A) Angina pectoris B) Pericarditis C) Dissecting aortic aneurysm D) Pulmonary embolism B A 68-year-old retired postman presents to your clinic, complaining of dull, intermittent left-sided chest pain over the last few weeks. The pain occurs after he mows his lawn or chops wood. He says that the pain radiates to the left side of his jaw but nowhere else. He has felt light-headed and nauseated with the pain but has had no other symptoms. He states when he sits down for several minutes the pain goes away. Ibuprofen, Tylenol, and antacids have not improved his symptoms. He reports no recent weight gain, weight loss, fever, or night sweats. He has a past medical history of high blood pressure and arthritis. He quit smoking 10 years ago after smoking one pack a day for 40 years. He denies any recent alcohol use and reports no drug use. He is married and has two healthy children. His mother died of breast cancer and his father died of a stroke. His younger brother has had bypass surgery. On examination you find him healthy-appearing and breathing comfortably. His blood pressure is 140/90 and he has a pulse of 80. His head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat examinations are unremarkable. His lungs have normal breath sounds and there are no abnormalities with percussion and palpation of the chest. His heart has a normal S1 and S2 and no S3 or S4. Further workup is pending. Which disorder of the chest best describes these symptoms? A) Angina pectoris B) Pericarditis C) Dissecting aortic aneurysm D) Pulmonary embolism A A 60-year-old baker presents to your clinic, complaining of increasing shortness of breath and nonproductive cough over the last month. She feels like she can't do as much activity as she used to do without becoming tired. She even has to sleep upright in her recliner at night to be able to breathe comfortably. She denies any chest pain, nausea, or sweating. Her past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. She had a hysterectomy in her 40s for heavy vaginal bleeding. She is married and is retiring from the local bakery soon. She denies any tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her mother died of a stroke and her father died from prostate cancer. She denies any recent upper respiratory illness, and she has had no other symptoms. On examination she is in no acute distress. Her blood pressure is 160/100 and her pulse is 100. She is afebrile and her respiratory rate is 16. With auscultation she has distant air sounds and she has late inspiratory crackles in both lower lobes. On cardiac examination the S1 and S2 are distant and an S3 is heard over the apex. What disorder of the chest best describes her symptoms? A) Pneumonia B) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) C) Pulmonary embolism D) Left-sided heart failure D A 75-year-old retired teacher presents to your clinic, complaining of severe, unrelenting anterior chest pain radiating to her back. She describes it as if someone is "ripping out her heart." It began less than an hour ago. She states she is feeling very nauseated and may pass out. She denies any trauma or recent illnesses. She states she has never had pain like this before. Nothing seems to make the pain better or worse. Her medical history consists of difficult-to-control hypertension and coronary artery disease requiring two stents in the past. She is a widow. She denies any alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drug use. Her mother died of a stroke and her father died of a heart attack. She A patient with longstanding COPD was told by another practitioner that his liver was enlarged and this needed to be assessed. Which of the following would be reasonable to do next? A) Percuss the lower border of the liver B) Measure the span of the liver C) Order a hepatitis panel D) Obtain an ultrasound of the liver B ( suspecting alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency but this would be the fastest/easiest/cheapest confirmatory test before getting imaging) What is responsible for the inspiratory splitting of S2? A) Closure of aortic, then pulmonic valves B) Closure of mitral, then tricuspid valves C) Closure of aortic, then tricuspid valves D) Closure of mitral, then pulmonic valves A A 25-year-old optical technician comes to your clinic for evaluation of fatigue. As part of your physical examination, you listen to her heart and hear a murmur only at the cardiac apex. Which valve is most likely to be involved, based on the location of the murmur? A) Mitral B) Tricuspid C) Aortic D) Pulmonic A You are conducting a workshop on the measurement of jugular venous pulsation. As part of your instruction, you tell the students to make sure that they can distinguish between the jugular venous pulsation and the carotid pulse. Which one of the following characteristics is typical of the carotid pulse? A) Palpable B) Soft, rapid, undulating quality C) Pulsation eliminated by light pressure on the vessel D) Level of pulsation changes with changes in position A You are concerned that a patient has an aortic regurgitation murmur. Which is the best position to accentuate the murmur? A) Upright B) Upright, but leaning forward C) Supine D) Left lateral decubitus B Where is the point of maximal impulse (PMI) normally located? A) In the left 5th intercostal space, in the midsternal line B) In the left 5th intercostal space, in the midclavicular line C) In the left 5th intercostal space, in the anterior axillary line D) In the left 5th intercostal space, in the midaxillary line B Which of the following events occurs at the start of diastole? A) Closure of the tricuspid valve B) Opening of the pulmonic valve C) Closure of the aortic valve D) Production of the first heart sound (S1) C Which is true of a third heart sound (S3)? A) It marks atrial contraction. B) It reflects normal compliance of the right ventricle. C) It is caused by rapid deceleration of blood against the ventricular wall. - blood sloshing around in ventricle D) It is not heard in atrial fibrillation. C Which is true of splitting of the second heart sound? A) It is best heard over the pulmonic area. B) It normally increases with exhalation. C) It is best heard over the apex. D) It does not vary with respiration. A Which of the following is true of jugular venous pressure (JVP) measurement? A) It is best measured with the patient at an approximately 30-degree angle. B) The vertical height of the blood column in centimeters above the sternal angle, plus 2 cm, is the JVP. C) A JVP < 9 cm above the right atrium is abnormal. D) It is best measured using the left internal jugular vein. A (actually +5cm, normally < 9 cm, R IJV > L IJV) Which of the following correlates with a sustained, high-amplitude PMI? A) Hyperthyroidism B) Anemia C) Fever D) Hypertension D You find a bounding carotid pulse on a 62-year-old patient. Which murmur should you search out? A) Mitral valve prolapse B) Pulmonic stenosis Her rectal occult blood test is negative. Her deep tendon reflexes are delayed in response to a blow with the hammer, especially the Achilles tendons. What is the best choice for the cause of her constipation? A) Large bowel obstruction B) Irritable bowel syndrome C) Rectal cancer D) Hypothyroidism D A 22-year-old law student comes to your office, complaining of severe abdominal pain radiating to his back. He states it began last night after hours of heavy drinking. He has had abdominal pain and vomiting in the past after drinking but never as bad as this. He cannot keep any food or water down, and these symptoms have been going on for almost 12 hours. He has had no recent illnesses or injuries. His past medical history is unremarkable. He denies smoking or using illegal drugs but admits to drinking 6 to 10 beers per weekend night. He admits that last night he drank something like 14 drinks. On examination you find a young male appearing his stated age in some distress. He is leaning over on the examination table and holding his abdomen with his arms. His blood pressure is 90/60 and his pulse is 120. He is afebrile. His abdominal examination reveals normal bowel sounds, but he is very tender in the left upper quadrant and epigastric area. He has no Murphy's sign or tenderness in the right lower quadrant. The remainder of his abdominal examination is normal. His rectal, prostate, penile, and testicular examinations are normal. He has no inguinal hernias or tenderness with that examination. Blood work is pending. What etiology of abdominal pain is most likely causing his symptoms? A) Peptic ulcer disease B) Biliary colic C) Acute cholecystitis D) Acute pancreatitis D Bill, a 55-year-old man, presents with pain in his epigastrium which lasts for 30 minutes or more at a time and has started recently. Which of the following should be considered? A) Peptic ulcer B) Pancreatitis C) Myocardial ischemia D) All of the above D Monique is a 33-year-old administrative assistant who has had intermittent lower abdominal pain approximately one week a month for the past year. It is not related to her menses. She notes relief with defecation, and a change in form and frequency of her bowel movements with these episodes. Which of the following is most likely? A) Colon cancer B) Cholecystitis C) Inflammatory bowel disease D) Irritable bowel syndrome D Jim is a 60-year-old man who presents with vomiting. He denies seeing any blood with emesis, which has been occurring for 2 days. He does note a dark, granular substance resembling the coffee left in the filter after brewing. What do you suspect? A) Bleeding from a diverticulum B) Bleeding from a peptic ulcer C) Bleeding from a colon cancer D) Bleeding from cholecystitis B Which is the proper sequence of examination for the abdomen? A) Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion B) Inspection, percussion, palpation, auscultation C) Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation D) Auscultation, percussion, inspection, palpation C A 62-year-old woman has been followed by you for 3 years and has had recent onset of hypertension. She is still not at goal despite three antihypertensive medicines, and you strongly doubt non-adherence. Her father died of a heart attack at age 58. Today her pressure is 168/94 and pressure on the other arm is similar. What would you do next? A) Add a fourth medicine B) Refer to nephrology C) Get a CT scan D) Listen closely to her abdomen D Mr. Patel is a 64-year-old man who was told by another care provider that his liver is enlarged. Although he is a life-long smoker, he has never used drugs or alcohol and has no knowledge of liver disease. Indeed, on examination, a liver edge is palpable 4 centimeters below the costal arch. Which of the following would you do next? A) Check an ultrasound of the liver B) Obtain a hepatitis panel C) Determine liver span by percussion D) Adopt a "watchful waiting" approach C Josh is a 14-year-old boy who presents with a sore throat. On examination, you notice dullness in the last intercostal space in the anterior axillary line on his left side with a deep breath. What does this indicate? A) His spleen is definitely enlarged and further workup is warranted. B) His spleen is possibly enlarged and close attention should be paid to further examination. C) His spleen is possibly enlarged and further workup is warranted. D) His spleen is definitely normal. A A 55-year-old secretary with a recent history of breast cancer, for which she underwent surgery and radiation therapy, and a history of hypertension comes to your office for a routine checkup. Which of the following aspects of the physical are important to note when assessing the patient for peripheral vascular disease in the arms? A) Femoral pulse, popliteal pulse B) Dorsalis pedis pulse, posterior tibial pulse C) Carotid pulse D) Radial pulse, brachial pulse D You are a student in the vascular surgery clinic. You are asked to perform a physical examination on a patient with known peripheral vascular disease in the legs. Which of the following aspects is important to note when you perform your examination? A) Size, symmetry, and skin color B) Muscle bulk and tone C) Nodules in joints D) Lower extremity strength A You are obtaining an arterial blood gas in the radial artery on a retired cab driver who has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit for a stroke. You are concerned about the possibility of arterial insufficiency. You perform the Allen test. This means that you: A) Checked for patency of the radial artery B) Checked for patency of the brachial artery C) Checked for patency of the ulnar artery D) Checked for patency of the femoral artery C As the internal diameter of a blood vessel changes, the resistance changes as well. Which of the following descriptions depicts this relationship? A) Resistance varies linearly with the diameter. B) Resistance varies proportionally to the second power of the diameter. C) Resistance varies proportionally to the third power of the diameter. D) Resistance varies proportionally to the fourth power of the diameter. D Mr. Edwards complains of cramps and difficulties with walking. The cramps occur in his calves consistently after walking about 100 yards. After a period of rest, he can start to walk again, but after 100 yards these same symptoms recur. Which of the following would suggest spinal stenosis as a cause of this pain? A) Coldness and pallor of the legs B) Relief of the pain with bending at the waist C) Color changes of the skin D) Swelling with tenderness of the skin B Which of the following pairs of ischemic symptoms versus vascular supply is correct? A) Lower calf/superficial femoral B) Erectile dysfunction/iliac or pudendal C) Buttock/common femoral D) Upper calf/tibial or peroneal B Asymmetric BPs are seen in which of the following conditions? A) Coronary artery disease B) Congenital narrowing of the aorta C) Diffuse atherosclerosis D) Vasculitis, as seen in systemic lupus erythematosus B When assessing temperature of the skin, which portion of your hand should be used? A) Fingertips B) Palms C) Backs of fingers D) Ulnar aspect of the hand C A 32-year-old warehouse worker presents for evaluation of low back pain. He notes a sudden onset of pain after lifting a set of boxes that were heavier than usual. He also states that he has numbness and tingling in the left leg. He wants to know if he needs to be off of work. What test should you perform to assess for a herniated disc? A) Leg-length test B) Straight-leg raise C) Tinel's test D) Phalen's test B A 50-year-old realtor comes to your office for evaluation of neck pain. She was in a motor vehicle collision 2 days ago and was assessed by the emergency medical technicians on site, but she didn't think that she needed to go to the emergency room at that time. Now, she has severe pain and stiffness in her neck. On physical examination, you note pain and spasm over the paraspinous muscles on the left side of the neck, and pain when you make the patient do active range of motion of the cervical spine. What is the most likely cause of this neck pain? A) Simple stiff neck B) Aching neck C) Cervical sprain D) Cervical herniated disc C Phil comes to your office with left "shoulder pain." You find that the pain is markedly worse when his left arm is drawn across his chest (adduction). Which of the following would you suspect? A) Rotator cuff tear B) Subacromial bursitis C) Acromioclavicular joint involvement D) Adhesive capsulitis C Two weeks ago, Mary started a job which requires carrying 40-pound buckets. She presents with elbow pain worse on the right. On examination, it hurts her elbows to dorsiflex her hands against resistance when her palms face the floor. What condition does she have? A) Medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) B) Olecranon bursitis C) Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) D) Supracondylar fracture C A high school football player injured his wrist in a game. He is tender between the two tendons at the base of the thumb. Which of the following should be considered? A) DeQuervain's tenosynovitis B) Scaphoid fracture C) Wrist sprain D) Rheumatoid arthritis B Mrs. Fletcher complains of numbness of her right hand. On examination, sensation of the volar aspect of the web of the thumb and index finger and the pulp of the middle finger are normal. The pulp of the index finger has decreased sensation. Which of the following is affected? A) Median nerve B) Ulnar nerve C) Radial nerve D) Brachial nerve A A 50-year-old woman presents with "left hip pain" of several weeks duration. There is marked tenderness when you press over her proximal lateral thigh. What do you think she has? A) Osteoarthritis B) Rheumatoid arthritis C) Sciatica D) Trochanteric bursitis D A 77-year-old retired school superintendent comes to your office, complaining of unsteady hands. He says that for the past 6 months, when his hands are resting in his lap they shake uncontrollably. He says when he holds them out in front of his body the shaking diminishes, and when he uses his hands the shaking is also better. He also complains of some difficulty getting up out of his chair and walking around. He denies any recent illnesses or injuries. His past medical history is significant for high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, requiring a stent in the past. He has been married for over 50 years and has five children and 12 grandchildren. He denies any tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. His mother died of a stroke in her 70s and his father died of a heart attack in his 60s. He has a younger sister who has arthritis problems. His children are all essentially healthy. On examination you see a fine, pill-rolling tremor of his left hand. His right shows less movement. His cranial nerve examination is normal. He has some difficulty rising from his chair, his gait is slow, and it takes him time to turn around to walk back toward you. He has almost no "arm swing" with his gait. What type of tremor is he most likely to have? A) Resting tremor B) Postural tremor C) Intention tremor D) Movement tremor A A 48-year-old grocery store manager comes to your clinic, complaining of her head being "stuck" to one side. She says that today she was doing her normal routine when it suddenly felt like her head was being moved to her left and then it just stuck that way. She says it is somewhat painful because she cannot get it moved back to normal. She denies any recent neck trauma. Her past medical history consists of type 2 diabetes and gastroparesis (slow-moving peristalsis in the digestive tract, seen in diabetes). She is on oral medication for each. She is married and has three children. She denies tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. Her father has diabetes and her mother passed away from breast cancer. Her children are healthy. On examination you see a slightly overweight Hispanic woman appearing her stated age. Her head is twisted grotesquely to her left but otherwise her examination is normal. What form of involuntary movement does she have? A) Chorea B) Asbestosis C) Tic D) Dystonia D A 41-year-old real estate agent comes to your office, complaining that he feels like his face is paralyzed on the left. He states that last week he felt his left eyelid was drowsy and as the day progressed he was unable to close his eyelid all the way. Later he felt like his smile became affected also. He denies any recent injuries but had an upper respiratory viral infection last month. His past medical history is unremarkable. He is divorced and has one child. He smokes one pack of cigarettes a day, occasionally drinks alcohol, and denies any illegal drug use. His mother has high blood pressure and his father has sarcoidosis. On examination you ask him to close his eyes. He is unable to close his left eye. You ask him to open his eyes and raise his eyebrows. His right forehead furrows but his left remains flat. You then ask him to give you a big smile. The right corner of his mouth raises but the left side of his mouth remains the same. What type of facial paralysis does he have? A) Peripheral CN V paralysis B) Central CN V paralysis B A patient with alcoholism is brought in with confusion. You ask him to "stop traffic" with his palms and notice that every few seconds his palms suddenly move toward the floor. What does this indicate? A) Stroke B) Metabolic problems C) Carpal tunnel syndrome D) Severe fatigue and weakness B You examine a "sleepy" patient. You note that she will open her eyes and look at you but responds slowly and is confused. She does not appear interested in her surroundings. How would you describe her level of consciousness? A) Lethargic B) Obtunded C) Stuporous D) Comatose B A 7-year-old boy is performing poorly in school. His teacher is frustrated because he is frequently seen "staring off into space" and not paying attention. If this is a seizure, it most likely represents which type? A) Pseudoseizure B) Tonic-clonic seizure - "grand mal seizure" C) Absence D) Myoclonus C A patient comes to you because she is experiencing a tremor only when she reaches for things. This becomes worse as she nears the "target." When you ask her to hold out her hands, no tremor is apparent. What type of tremor does this most likely represent? A) Intention tremor B) Postural tremor C) Resting tremor D) Nervous tremor A A young woman comes in with brief, rapid, jerky, irregular movements. They can occur at rest or during other intentional movements and involve mostly her face, head, lower arms, and hands. How would you describe these movements? A) Tics B) Dystonia - twisting and repetitive movements C) Athetosis D) Chorea D A mother brings her 15-month-old daughter to your office for evaluation of a rash and fever. She says the rash started one day and the fever developed the next day. Her daughter has had all of her vaccinations up to 10 months. The mother sheepishly admits that she hasn't had time to bring her daughter in since her 10-month check-up. On examination you see a mildly sick-appearing toddler with a 102-degree temperature. Looking at her skin you see at least 100 of a variety of papules, vesicles, and ulcers in different stages of development. What illness prevented by proper vaccination does this toddler have? A) Varicella (chickenpox) B) Measles C) Smallpox D) Hand-foot-mouth disease A Which of the following will help to optimize yield from a pediatric examination? A) Doing the examination out of order if necessary to take advantage of quiet periods for auscultation, etc. B) Being very orderly, so as not to miss a portion of the examination C) Using firmness as needed to make it through your examination D) Making sure to place the infant on the table during the examination while mom watches close by A A 6-month-old infant is brought in for a well check. It is noted his head circumference is off the chart and at a much higher percentile than was previously measured. What should you do next? A) Recommend a neurology consult. B) Order a CT of the head. C) Remeasure the circumference. D) Admit the child to the hospital for further workup. C You are assessing an infant and notice that his nares flare, he has a soft grunt with each breath, and the skin between his ribs is pulled inward with inhalation. What is the significance of these findings? A) These are indicative of a CNS process. B) These are indicative of respiratory distress. C) These are indicative of muscular dystrophy. D) These are frequently accompanied by stridor. B You have been unable to hear normal S2 splitting in children up to this point. What technique will maximize your chances of hearing this phenomenon? A) Listen with the diaphragm over the left lower sternal border. B) Listen with the diaphragm over the 2nd left intercostal space. C) Listen with the diaphragm over the apex. D) Listen with the diaphragm in the axilla.