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Clinical Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Clinical Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine flashcards as text

  1. A 55-year-old man presents with fatigue, pallor, and a mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of 110 fL. Which finding would best confirm megaloblastic anemia?

    Answer: Hypersegmented neutrophils on peripheral smear

    Hypersegmented neutrophils (≥5 lobes) on peripheral smear are a hallmark of megaloblastic anemia due to B12 or folate deficiency.

  2. Which laboratory finding is most characteristic of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)?

    Answer: Elevated D-dimer with prolonged PT and PTT

    DIC is characterized by elevated D-dimer (reflecting fibrinolysis), prolonged PT/PTT, and decreased fibrinogen due to widespread coagulation factor consumption.

  3. A patient with suspected myocardial infarction presents 6 hours after symptom onset. Which biomarker is most sensitive and specific at this time point?

    Answer: Troponin I

    Troponin I remains elevated for 7–10 days and is the most sensitive and specific cardiac biomarker from 4–6 hours after MI onset.

  4. An anion gap of 22 mEq/L is found in a patient with altered mental status. Which condition is the LEAST likely cause of this elevated anion gap?

    Answer: Hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis

    Hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis (e.g., from diarrhea or RTA) is a normal anion gap acidosis, not an elevated anion gap acidosis.

  5. Which test is considered the gold standard for diagnosing iron deficiency anemia?

    Answer: Bone marrow iron staining

    Bone marrow iron staining directly visualizes iron stores and is the definitive gold standard, though serum ferritin is the most practical first-line test.

  6. A 30-year-old woman has a serum calcium of 11.5 mg/dL. PTH is elevated. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Primary hyperparathyroidism

    Elevated PTH with hypercalcemia is diagnostic of primary hyperparathyroidism; malignancy suppresses PTH via PTHrP production.

  7. Which urinalysis finding is most consistent with a diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome?

    Answer: Fatty casts and oval fat bodies

    Fatty casts and oval fat bodies in urine are characteristic of nephrotic syndrome due to massive proteinuria and lipiduria.