ABEM Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the ABEM exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 ABEM Exam Format at a Glance
📚 ABEM Topics to Study (37)
✍️ Sample ABEM Questions & Answers
1. After a house fire, a victim presents with confusion, cherry-red skin, and carboxyhemoglobin of 28%. What is the half-life of COHb with 100% normobaric oxygen?
100% normobaric oxygen reduces the carboxyhemoglobin half-life from ~5 hours on room air to approximately 60–90 minutes.
2. A patient with known COPD presents with acute exacerbation. SpO2 is 82%. What is the target oxygen saturation range for this patient?
In COPD patients with chronic hypercapnia, target SpO2 is 88-92% to avoid suppressing the hypoxic drive and worsening hypercapnia.
3. A restrained driver sustains a lap-belt abdominal bruise pattern. Which injury triad is classically associated with this mechanism?
The lap-belt complex includes Chance fracture (flexion-distraction lumbar), bowel/mesenteric injury from compression against the spine.
4. A 45-year-old woman presents with sudden syncope. ECG shows a prolonged QTc of 520ms and polymorphic VT. The first-line treatment is:
Torsades de pointes (polymorphic VT with prolonged QT) is treated first with IV magnesium sulfate 1-2g regardless of serum magnesium level.
5. Which foundational principle is MOST important for success in the American Board of Emergency Medicine profession?
Success in any professional field requires a commitment to continuous learning to stay current, ethical practice to maintain trust and integrity, and a focus on quality outcomes that serve stakeholders and the public interest.
6. A 28-year-old asthmatic presents with severe wheezing, cannot speak in full sentences, HR 128, and SpO2 88%. After initial bronchodilators, what adjunct treatment is MOST appropriate?
Systemic corticosteroids (IV methylprednisolone or oral prednisone) reduce airway inflammation and decrease length of stay in severe asthma exacerbations.