Past Exam Errors 1 Flashcards
A three-year-old girl has a large secundum atrial septal defect.
The magnitude of the left-to-right atrial shunt will be most influenced by the:
A. left atrial pressure.
B. left ventricular compliance.
C. pulmonary vascular resistance.
D. right ventricular compliance.
E. systemic vascular resistance
D - RV compliance
Uptodate:
The pathophysiology of isolated ASDs depends upon the relationship of pulmonary and systemic resistances, the compliance of the right and left ventricles, and the size of the defect.
With a small ASD, left atrial pressure is slightly higher than right atrial pressure, resulting in continuous flow of oxygenated blood from the left to the right atrium across the defect. The pressure gradient between the two atria and the amount of shunt flow depend upon the size of the defect and the relative distensibility of the right and left sides of the heart.
Even when the right and left atrial pressures are equal, as will be seen with a large defect, left-to-right shunting still occurs because of the greater compliance of the right ventricle compared with the left ventricle.
Can lead to right sided volume overload, although heart failure is rarely seen before 30 years of age.
Which one of the following diseases is not considered to be mediated by antigens acting as "super-antigens"? A. Kawasaki disease. B. Rheumatic fever. C. Scarlet fever. D. Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome. E. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
B - Rheumatic fever - note this question is from 1999 ?outdated, multiple sources now listing rheumatic fever as strep superantigen involvement…
Wikipedia
Superantigens (SAgs) are a class of antigens that result in excessive activation of the immune system. Specifically it causes non-specific activation of T-cells resulting in polyclonal T cell activation and massive cytokine release. SAgs are produced by some pathogenic viruses and bacteria.
Compared to a normal antigen-induced T-cell response where 0.0001-0.001% of the body’s T-cells are activated, these SAgs are capable of activating up to 20% of the body’s T-cells.
Diseases associated with superantigen production: Diabetes mellitus Eczema Guttate psoriasis Kawasaki disease Nasal polyps Rheumatic fever Rheumatoid arthritis Scarlet fever Toxic shock syndrome Infective endocarditis
Collaboration involving physical contact between B and T cells is essential for the activation of B cells and
immunoglobulin class switching. Contact occurs between CD40 on the surface of the B cell and the CD40 ligand
on activated T cells.
In which one of the following is CD40 ligand binding most likely to be defective?
A. Selective IgA deficiency.
B. Severe combined immunodeficiency.
C. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
D. X-linked agammaglobulinaemia.
E. X-linked hyper IgM syndrome
E - Hyper IgM Syndrome
Uptodate
The hyperimmunoglobulin M (hyper-IgM or HIGM) syndromes include a heterogeneous group of conditions characterized by defective class-switch recombination (CSR), resulting in normal or increased levels of serum IgM associated with deficiency of immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) and poor antibody function.
Most commonly due to X-linked disease of CD40L gene.
SCID: Defect in T and B cell development, severe, causes vary but cytokine receptor defects (IL2-R) and adenosine deaminase deficiency most common (intracellular accumulation of lymphocyte toxic metabolites).
CVID: Hypogammaglobulinaemia, defect in B-cell differentiation, cause unclear ?intrinsic B cell defect impairing T cell mediated activation.
Hyper IgE: AD/AR, recurrent skin/resp infections, eczema.
Selective IgA Def: MOST COMMON primary immunodeficiency, unclear significance, mostly asymptomatic, unknown aetiology
Wiskott-Aldrich: Triad of microthrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent pyogenic infections. X-recessive. Mutation in WASP gene (Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein).
X-linked agammaglobulinaemia: severe deficiency of all classes, mutation in BTK gene on X chromosome -> ineffective Bruton’s tyrosine kinase -> failed maturation of B cells.
Which associated feature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder at presentation is most likely to predict a poorer response to stimulant medication treatment? A. Age greater than 10 years. B. Co-existing anxiety disorder. C. Female sex. D. Prominent aggression. E. Severe inattentiveness.
B - Co-existing anxiety disorder
Which one of the following partial pressures of arterial oxygen would you expect from a normal one-year-old breathing 60% oxygen at sea level? A. 290 mmHg. B. 390 mmHg. C. 450 mmHg. D. 520 mmHg. E. 570 mmHg.
B - 390mmHg
The alveolar gas equation is used to calculate alveolar oxygen partial pressure:
PAO2 = (Patm - PH2O) FiO2 - PaCO2 / RQ
While PAO2 is the partial pressure of oxygen in the alveoli, Patm is the atmospheric pressure at sea level equaling 760 mm Hg. PH2O is the partial pressure of water equal to approximately 45 mm Hg. FiO2 is the fraction of inspired oxygen. PaCO2 is the carbon dioxide partial pressure in alveoli, which in normal physiological conditions is approximately 40 to 45 mm Hg, and the RQ (respiratory quotient - standard value 0.82).
At sea level without supplemented inspired oxygenation, the alveolar oxygen partial pressure (PAO2) is:
PAO2 = (760 - 47) 0.21 - 40 / 0.8 = 99.7 mm Hg
Estimating A-a gradient:
Normal A-a gradient = (Age + 10) / 4
A-a gradient increases 5 to 7 for every 10% increase in FiO2.
The principle mechanism which ensures excretion of excess sodium when the dietary intake of salt is high involves: A. atrial natriuretic factor. B. glomerular filtration. C. Na-K ATPase. D. renin-angiotensin pathway. E. tubulo-glomerular feedback.
A - ANP
Sodium is the primary cation in the ECF and determines ECF osmolarity.
Responses to REDUCED Na/BP/ECF
- baroreceptors detected reduced BP -> sympathetic nervous system activation and vasoconstriction
- RAAS -> reduced BP, reduced renal perfusion, juxtaglomerular apparatus secretes renin
Responses to INCREASED Na/BP/ECF
- natriuretic factors/peptides -> cause natriuresis. ANP = volume receptors in atria, BNP = volume receptors in brain ventricles
The laboratory telephones you with the following test results of blood taken from a 16-year-old male student who had requested hepatitis B screening. HBsAg (surface antigen) negative Anti-HBs (surface antibody) positive Anti-HBc (core antibody) positive The most likely explanation for these results is: A. acute hepatitis B infection. B. chronic hepatitis B infection. C. hepatitis D superinfection. D. past hepatitis B vaccination. E. previous hepatitis B infection.
E - previous infection
Surface antigen = current infection
Surface antibody alone = vaccination
Core antibody = previous exposure
E antigen = active replication
The anticoagulant effect of the coumarin derivative warfarin is most likely to be enhanced by which one of the following? A. Carbamazepine. B. Erythromycin. C. Oral contraceptive. D. Phenytoin. E. Vitamin K.
B - erythromycin
Key Messages:
- CYP3A4 is responsible for the metabolism of more than 50% of medicines.
- CYP3A4 activity is absent in new-borns but reaches adult levels at around one year of age.
- The liver and small intestine have the highest CYP3A4 activity.
- Some important CYP3A4 interactions are due to intestinal rather than hepatic enzyme inhibition (eg, grapefruit).
- There is considerable variability in CYP3A4 activity in the population.
- Women have higher CYP3A4 activity than men.
- Potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 include clarithromycin, erythromycin, diltiazem, itraconazole, ketoconazole, ritonavir, verapamil, goldenseal and grapefruit.
- Inducers of CYP3A4 include phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampicin, St. John’s Wort and glucocorticoids.
Warfarin is a racemic mixture of stereo isomers, which are 99 percent bound to albumin. The drug is metabolized in the liver and kidneys, with the subsequent production of inactive metabolites that are excreted in the urine and stool.
Which one of the following is most important in recovery from acute bronchiolitis due to respiratory syncytial virus? A. IgG antibody production. B. IgM antibody production. C. Interferon. D. Natural killer cells. E. T lymphocytes.
E - T lymphocytes
A Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) assesses general intelligence and its contributing factors.
Which one of the following requires an additional test in order to be adequately measured? A. Freedom from distractibility. B. Perceptual organisation. C. Reading ability. D. Speed of information processing. E. Verbal comprehension.
C - reading ability
Boast notes
Weschler
6-16 years
Involves • Verbal comprehension • Visual spatial • Fluid reasoning • Working memory • Processing speed
Good points
• Generates an IQ score
• Can be used to dx ADHD and learning disability
• 45-65 minutes to administer
Limitations
• Does NOT include reading ability
The cavernous sinus contains all of the following nerves except: A. abducens. B. facial. C. oculomotor. D. trigeminal. E. trochlear.
B - facial nerve
The cavernous sinus is one of the dural venous sinuses of the head. It is a network of veins that sit in a cavity, approximately 1 x 2 cm in size in an adult. The carotid siphon of the internal carotid artery, and cranial nerves III, IV, V (branches V1 and V2) and VI all pass through this blood filled space.
A patient with pancreatic insufficiency refuses to take enzyme replacement and later presents with renal calculi.
Increased excretion of which one of the following is the most likely cause of calculus formation?
A. Bicarbonate.
B. Cysteine.
C. Oxalate.
D. Phosphate.
E. Urate.
C - oxalate
Fat malabsorption causes increased binding of diet calcium by free fatty acids, reducing the calcium available to precipitate diet oxalate. Delivery of unabsorbed bile salts and fatty acids to the colon increases colonic permeability, the site of oxalate hyper-absorption in enteric hyperoxaluria.
FFA also bind magnesium -> hypomagnesaemia
In a four-year-old child, marked dilatation of the pulmonary artery would be most likely to occur in which one of the
following?
A. Atrial septal defect.
B. Bilateral pulmonary artery branch stenosis.
C. Idiopathic arterial calcification.
D. Mild pulmonary valve stenosis.
E. Severe pulmonary valve stenosis.
D - mild PS
Post stenotic dilatation
For which one of the following antiepileptic drugs is the measurement of plasma levels of most value in clinical management? A. Carbamazepine. B. Lamotrigine. C. Phenytoin. D. Sodium valproate. E. Vigabatrin.
D - valproate
?old question, lecture was pretty against routine monitoring of AEDs…
Antiepileptic drug-level monitoring has been a common clinical practice since the advent of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The practice of maintaining AEDs within laboratory-defined therapeutic ranges is a myth, with professionals overestimating values in most clinical settings. Epilepsy, in general, is a clinical diagnosis, with diagnostic modalities such as EEG and MRI considered to be complementary investigations. The assessment of AED efficacy should also be clinical and the AED level utilized as a complementary tool in selected situations.
Carbamazepine, valproate, and oral phenytoin should be tested after steady state has been reached, just before the next dose is given, and at a consistent time of day.
Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are responsible for the oxidation processes of phase I metabolism. CYP2C93 polymorphisms have been demonstrated to decrease the rate of metabolism of phenobarbital, phenytoin, and valproic acid.
UDP glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes
catalyze the glucuronidation of xenobiotics as part
of phase II drug metabolism. Polymorphisms of
UGT2B7 significantly decrease serum valproic acid
levels in epilepsy patients.
The relative potency of the glucocorticoid activity of betamethasone compared to prednisolone is closest to which one of the following ratios? A. 3:1. B. 6:1. C. 10:1. D. 15:1. E. 25:1.
B - 6:1
Comparied with cortisol (=1):
- cortisone 0.8
- prednisolone 4
- methylpred 5
- betamethasone and dexamethasone 25
Which one of the following primary immunodeficiency disorders is most likely to be associated with anaphylaxis to blood products? A. Ataxia-Telangiectasia. B. Common variable immunodeficiency. C. IgG subclass deficiency. D. Selective IgA deficiency. E. X-linked agammaglobulinaemia
D - IgA deficiency
Anaphylactic reactions are a rare complication during intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) administration. Patients with undetectable serum IgA are at increased risk, given the possibility of anti-IgA antibody formation and consequent sensitization to IgA contained in the IVIG preparation.
A 13-year-old boy has been diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes for eight years and coeliac disease for four years. When he is reviewed, he complains of mild lethargy. He is noted to be more pigmented than normal.
Which one of the following tests would be most useful in diagnosing adrenal insufficiency in this situation?
A. Adrenal autoantibodies.
B. Plasma ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone).
C. Plasma alpha MSH (melanocyte stimulating hormone).
D. Plasma cortisol.
E. Urinary free cortisol.
B - ACTH
Cushing syndrome/disease
ACTH to help distinguish central/primary/secondary causes. Cushing’s syndrome may be either corticotropin (ACTH) dependent or independent. Approximately 80 percent of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome cases are ACTH dependent, and approximately 20 percent are ACTH independent.
ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome 80
Cushing’s disease 68 - most common
Ectopic ACTH syndrome 12
Ectopic CRH syndrome «1
ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome 20 Adrenal adenoma 10 Adrenal carcinoma 8 Micronodular hyperplasia <1 Macronodular hyperplasia <1
Pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome
Major depressive disorder 1
Alcoholism
Which one of the following psychotropic drugs has the greatest alpha-adrenergic agonist effect? A. Clomipramine. B. Clonidine. C. Fluoxetine. D. Haloperidol. E. Thioridazine
B - clonidine
Alpha 1 mediates vasoconstriction, inc BP, etc.
Alpha 2 receptors in the brain stem and in the periphery inhibit sympathetic activity and thus lower blood pressure. Alpha 2 receptor agonists such as clonidine or guanabenz reduce central and peripheral sympathetic overflow and via peripheral presynaptic receptors may reduce peripheral neurotransmitter release.
Mechanism of Action
As an alpha-adrenergic agonist in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), clonidine excites a pathway that inhibits excitatory cardiovascular neurons. Clonidine has an alpha-antagonist effect in the posterior hypothalamus and medulla.
The variance for height (or weight) in a population may be expressed in percentiles or standard deviation scores.
One standard deviation below the population mean (-1 SD) approximates which one of the following percentiles?
A. 3rd.
B. 10th.
C. 15th.
D. 25th.
E. 33rd.
C - 15th
First standard deviation either direction covers ~2/3 (68%) of population, leaving 1/3 ~32% left, but split at the top and bottom. Therefore aligns with the 16th percentile.
Which of the following immunoglobulins fix complement when they bind to antigen? A. Only IgG. B. IgG and IgA. C. IgG, IgA and IgM. D. IgG and IgM. E. Only IgM.
D - IgG, IgM
?Google search saying some evidence for IgA as well… 1999 question
“Recent advances have shown that also IgA is capable of activating the complement system.” - pubmed
USMLE book: Classic pathway—IgG or IgM mediated. Alternative pathway—microbe surface molecules. Lectin pathway—mannose or other sugars on microbe surface.
Which one of the following is predominantly excreted unchanged in the urine? A. Carbamazepine. B. Gabapentin. C. Lamotrigine. D. Phenytoin. E. Sodium valproate.
B - gabapentin
Enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs include: Carbamazepine. Eslicarbazepine acetate. Oxcarbazepine. Perampanel (at a dose of 12 mg daily or more). Phenobarbital. Phenytoin. …
Non-enzyme inducing antiepileptic drugs include: Acetazolamide. Clobazam. Clonazepam. Ethosuximide. Gabapentin.
Valproic acid differs from other older generation AEDs in being an inhibitor rather than an inducer of drug metabolizing enzymes.
Carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital and primidone (henceforth referred to collectively as enzyme-inducing AEDs) stimulate the activity of a variety of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes.
The plasma half-life of nitric oxide is extremely short.
This is primarily due to:
A. binding of nitric oxide to haemoglobin.
B. binding of nitric oxide to plasma albumin.
C. metabolic degradation of nitric oxide within vascular muscle fibres.
D. uptake of nitric oxide by alveolar macrophages.
E. uptake of nitric oxide by alveolar type II cells.
A - binding to haemoglobin
Which one of the following drugs crosses the placenta to a negligible degree? A. Captopril. B. Digoxin. C. Pancuronium. D. Sodium valproate. E. Warfarin
C - pancuronium
Examination of the synovial fluid from a subject with rheumatoid arthritis reveals many polymorphs and the
following factors. Which one of these is likely to be predominantly responsible for attracting polymorphs into the synovial fluid?
A. Complement C4.
B. Complement C5a.
C. Interleukin 1.
D. Interleukin 2 receptors.
E. Tumour necrosis factor
B - complement C5a
The main function of complement is protecting the host from infection/inflammation by recruiting (chemotaxis) and enhancing phagocytosis by innate immunity, finally leading to lysis of the target cells.
USMLE book: C3b—opsonization. C3a, C4a, C5a—anaphylaxis. C5a—neutrophil chemotaxis. C5b-9—cytolysis by MAC. C3b binds bacteria.
“Hot T-bone stEAK”: IL-1: fever (hot). IL-2: stimulates T cells. IL-3: stimulates bone marrow. IL-4: stimulates IgE production. IL-5: stimulates IgA production. IL-6: stimulates aKute-phase protein production.
“Clean up on aisle 8.” Neutrophils are recruited
by IL-8 to clear infections.