Practice Test Geeks(ABEM) American Board of Emergency Medicine Practice Test
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ABEM Gastrointestinal, Renal & Metabolic Emergencies Flashcards

6 cards from real ABEM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 ABEM Gastrointestinal, Renal & Metabolic Emergencies flashcards as text

  1. A patient presents with sudden severe 'tearing' back pain, pulsatile abdominal mass, and hypotension. What is the immediate priority?

    Answer: Emergent vascular surgery consultation and operative repair

    A ruptured AAA with hemodynamic instability requires immediate operative intervention; delaying for imaging is associated with mortality.

  2. A patient with known cirrhosis presents with confusion and asterixis. Ammonia level is elevated. What is the first-line treatment for hepatic encephalopathy?

    Answer: Lactulose and rifaximin

    Lactulose reduces ammonia absorption from the gut, and rifaximin reduces ammonia-producing gut bacteria; both are first-line for hepatic encephalopathy.

  3. A patient presents with midepigastric pain radiating to the back, nausea, and elevated lipase 3× the upper limit of normal. What is the cornerstone of initial management?

    Answer: IV fluid resuscitation and NPO

    Aggressive IV fluid resuscitation and bowel rest are the mainstays of initial acute pancreatitis management.

  4. A patient with ulcerative colitis presents with >10 bloody stools per day, fever, tachycardia, and Hgb of 8. What is the first management step in the ED?

    Answer: IV corticosteroids and GI consultation

    Severe ulcerative colitis requires hospitalization, IV corticosteroids, and urgent GI consultation to prevent toxic megacolon.

  5. A patient with history of alcohol use presents with hematemesis. EGD shows actively bleeding esophageal varices. Which medication should be administered immediately?

    Answer: Octreotide IV infusion

    Octreotide reduces portal hypertension by inhibiting vasodilatory peptides, and is given as a continuous infusion in acute variceal bleeding.

  6. A patient presents with right lower quadrant pain, fever, and elevated WBC. CT confirms acute appendicitis without perforation. What is the standard management?

    Answer: Appendectomy with IV antibiotics

    Acute uncomplicated appendicitis is treated with surgical appendectomy; IV antibiotics are given perioperatively.