Practice Test GeeksAOA - AOA Board Certified Practice Test
← All AOA Flashcard Decks

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. Which interpretation of an arterial blood gas — pH 7.28, PaCO2 55 mmHg, HCO3 24 mEq/L — is correct?

    Answer: Respiratory acidosis

    Low pH with elevated PaCO2 and normal bicarbonate indicates an acute respiratory acidosis without metabolic compensation.

  2. A patient has an AST/ALT ratio greater than 2:1 with elevated GGT and elevated MCV. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Alcoholic liver disease

    An AST:ALT ratio >2:1, elevated GGT, and macrocytosis (elevated MCV) form a classic triad strongly suggesting alcoholic liver disease.

  3. In interpreting a Coombs test for hemolytic anemia, a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) indicates:

    Answer: Antibodies bound directly to the patient's red blood cells

    The direct Coombs (DAT) detects antibodies or complement already bound to the patient's own red blood cells, indicating autoimmune or drug-induced hemolysis.

  4. A 45-year-old with dyslipidemia has an LDL of 190 mg/dL despite lifestyle changes. According to ACC/AHA guidelines, which lab result would most support initiating high-intensity statin therapy?

    Answer: LDL ≥ 190 mg/dL on two separate measurements

    ACC/AHA guidelines recommend high-intensity statin therapy for LDL ≥190 mg/dL, regardless of 10-year cardiovascular risk score.

  5. Which thyroid function test pattern is consistent with subclinical hypothyroidism?

    Answer: Elevated TSH, normal free T4

    Subclinical hypothyroidism is defined by elevated TSH with a normal free T4, indicating early thyroid insufficiency without overt hormonal deficiency.

  6. A patient has a serum sodium of 125 mEq/L with low urine osmolality (< 100 mOsm/kg) and low urine sodium (< 20 mEq/L). What is the most likely cause?

    Answer: Primary polydipsia

    Dilute urine (low urine osmolality) with low urine sodium in the setting of hyponatremia is classic for primary polydipsia, where excess free water suppresses ADH.

  7. Which finding on peripheral blood smear is most consistent with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)?

    Answer: Schistocytes (helmet cells)

    Schistocytes (fragmented red cells/helmet cells) result from mechanical destruction of RBCs by platelet thrombi in microvasculature, hallmark of TTP.