Practice and Application 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 Practice and Application flashcards as text
A 32-year-old man presents with a 2-week history of productive cough, low-grade fever, and myalgias. Chest X-ray shows a diffuse interstitial pattern. The most likely causative organism is:
Answer: Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the classic cause of atypical ('walking') pneumonia in young adults with gradual onset and interstitial infiltrates.
A family medicine clinic adopts electronic clinical decision support (CDS) alerts for preventive care reminders. Which of the following is a known risk of poorly implemented CDS systems?
Answer: Alert fatigue leading to ignored warnings
Alert fatigue occurs when excessive or irrelevant CDS alerts cause clinicians to override or ignore them, reducing their effectiveness.
A 78-year-old man with multiple comorbidities, including advanced dementia and CHF, asks his family medicine physician about his prognosis. His family requests 'everything be done.' Which concept is most relevant to this situation?
Answer: Goals-of-care conversation and advance care planning
Goals-of-care conversations are essential to align medical interventions with the patient's values and prognosis, especially in advanced illness.
A 44-year-old woman presents with a 3-month history of episodic palpitations, heat intolerance, and a 10-pound weight loss. TSH is undetectable with elevated free T4. What is the most appropriate initial treatment for Graves' disease?
Answer: Methimazole or propylthiouracil
Antithyroid medications such as methimazole are first-line therapy for Graves' hyperthyroidism in non-pregnant adults.
Which of the following best describes the principle of 'continuity of care' in family medicine?
Answer: Maintaining an ongoing, longitudinal therapeutic relationship between physician and patient over time
Continuity of care in family medicine refers to the sustained, personalized relationship between a physician and patient across time and health events.
A 55-year-old man with a 30 pack-year smoking history presents for an annual visit. Per USPSTF guidelines, which screening test should be offered?
Answer: Low-dose CT (LDCT) scan of the chest annually
USPSTF recommends annual LDCT lung cancer screening for adults aged 50–80 with a 20+ pack-year smoking history who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years.
A family physician is reviewing medication reconciliation after a patient's hospital discharge. The patient was started on a new medication that interacts with a chronic medication. This type of error is best prevented by which practice?
Answer: Systematic medication reconciliation at transitions of care with provider review
Structured medication reconciliation at care transitions — comparing pre- and post-admission medication lists — is the most effective strategy for identifying discrepancies and preventing harm.