Emergency Medicine & Acute Care Flashcards
7 cards from real ABPS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Emergency Medicine & Acute Care flashcards as text
A 55-year-old male presents with sudden onset crushing chest pain radiating to the left arm and diaphoresis. ECG shows ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF. Which vessel is most likely occluded?
Answer: Right coronary artery
ST elevation in leads II, III, and aVF indicates an inferior STEMI, which is typically caused by occlusion of the right coronary artery.
A patient presents in anaphylactic shock after a bee sting. Which is the FIRST-line treatment?
Answer: Intramuscular epinephrine
Intramuscular epinephrine (0.3–0.5 mg of 1:1000) into the anterolateral thigh is the first-line and life-saving treatment for anaphylaxis.
Which of the following Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores indicates severe traumatic brain injury?
Answer: 3–8
A GCS score of 3–8 defines severe traumatic brain injury and typically warrants immediate airway management and neurosurgical evaluation.
A 70-year-old woman presents with hypotension, distended neck veins, and muffled heart sounds following blunt chest trauma. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Answer: Cardiac tamponade
Beck's triad — hypotension, distended neck veins, and muffled heart sounds — is classic for cardiac tamponade, especially after chest trauma.
When managing a patient with suspected cervical spine injury in the emergency setting, which airway technique is generally preferred?
Answer: Rapid sequence intubation with in-line cervical stabilization
Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) with manual in-line cervical stabilization is the preferred method to secure the airway while minimizing cervical spine movement.
A patient presents with a serum sodium of 118 mEq/L and severe neurological symptoms including seizures. What is the recommended initial management?
Answer: Hypertonic saline (3%) to raise sodium by 1–2 mEq/L/hr acutely
In symptomatic severe hyponatremia, hypertonic saline (3%) is given to raise serum sodium by 1–2 mEq/L/hr until symptoms resolve, while avoiding overcorrection to prevent osmotic demyelination syndrome.
Which of the following is the most appropriate initial fluid resuscitation for septic shock in adults per Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines?
Answer: 30 mL/kg IV crystalloid within the first 3 hours
Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines recommend at least 30 mL/kg of IV crystalloid fluid within the first 3 hours of recognizing septic shock.