Practice Test Geeks(ABFM) American Board of Family Medicine Practice Test
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Core Knowledge and Fundamentals Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Core Knowledge and Fundamentals flashcards as text

  1. A 62-year-old smoker presents with sudden severe tearing chest pain radiating to the back. Blood pressure differs by 20 mmHg between arms. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Aortic dissection

    Aortic dissection classically presents with sudden tearing chest/back pain and a blood pressure differential between extremities, especially in hypertensive patients.

  2. When screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), USPSTF recommends one-time ultrasonography for which population?

    Answer: Men aged 65–75 who have ever smoked

    USPSTF recommends one-time abdominal ultrasound screening for AAA in men aged 65–75 who have ever smoked (≥100 cigarettes lifetime).

  3. A patient with major depressive disorder fails to respond after 6 weeks on an adequate dose of an SSRI. What is the most appropriate next step?

    Answer: Switch to a different antidepressant or augment the current regimen

    When an adequate antidepressant trial fails, the next step is to switch to another agent or augment with another medication such as bupropion, mirtazapine, or an atypical antipsychotic.

  4. Which physical examination finding is most specific for appendicitis?

    Answer: Rovsing's sign

    Rovsing's sign (pain at McBurney's point with palpation of the left lower quadrant) has higher specificity for appendicitis among classic signs.

  5. A 28-year-old woman presents with polyuria, polydipsia, and a urine osmolality of 150 mOsm/kg after water deprivation. Desmopressin corrects the urine osmolality to 550 mOsm/kg. What is the diagnosis?

    Answer: Central diabetes insipidus

    Central DI shows low urine osmolality with water deprivation that corrects dramatically with desmopressin (ADH), confirming deficient ADH secretion.

  6. According to JNC guidelines, which combination is preferred for a patient with hypertension and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)?

    Answer: ACE inhibitor + beta-blocker + aldosterone antagonist

    In HFrEF, the evidence-based regimen includes ACE inhibitor (or ARB/ARNI), beta-blocker, and aldosterone antagonist to reduce mortality.

  7. Which of the following best characterizes the preventive care recommendation for lung cancer screening?

    Answer: Annual low-dose CT for adults 50–80 with ≥20 pack-year history who currently smoke or quit within 15 years

    USPSTF recommends annual low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in adults aged 50–80 with a ≥20 pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.