BMAT Case Studies & Practical Application 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with type 1 diabetes presents with Kussmaul breathing, fruity breath, and blood glucose of 28 mmol/L. What is the most likely diagnosis?
- Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS)
- Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (Correct answer)
- Lactic acidosis
- Severe hypoglycaemia
Correct answer: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
Kussmaul breathing (deep, laboured respirations), fruity-smelling breath from acetone, and markedly elevated glucose are classic features of diabetic ketoacidosis.
Question 2: A BMAT maths question shows two overlapping circles, each of radius 4 cm, where each circle passes through the other's centre. What is the area of overlap (in cm²)?
- 8π/3 − 4√3
- (8π/3) − 4√3
- 16π/3 − 8√3 (Correct answer)
- 4π − 8
Correct answer: 16π/3 − 8√3
The lens-shaped intersection area of two circles of radius r, each passing through the other's centre, is (2r² / 3)(2π − 3√3) = (2×16/3)(2π−3√3)/2; for r=4 the result is (16π/3 − 8√3) cm².
Question 3: A clinical scenario describes a junior doctor who discovers a senior colleague has made a prescribing error that has not yet harmed the patient. What is the most appropriate first step?
- Do nothing to avoid causing conflict
- Correct the error, inform the senior colleague professionally, and document the incident (Correct answer)
- Report directly to the GMC without speaking to the colleague
- Inform the patient's family before taking any other action
Correct answer: Correct the error, inform the senior colleague professionally, and document the incident
Patient safety comes first; the error should be corrected immediately, then addressed with the colleague through appropriate channels and documented for learning.
Question 4: In a chemistry case study, iron rusts in the presence of water and oxygen. This reaction is best described as which type?
- Reduction only
- Neutralization
- Oxidation of iron to iron(III) oxide (Correct answer)
- Thermal decomposition
Correct answer: Oxidation of iron to iron(III) oxide
Rusting is the oxidation of iron (Fe → Fe³⁺) in the presence of water and oxygen to form hydrated iron(III) oxide (rust).
Question 5: A research paper uses a case-control study design to investigate a rare disease. Researchers compare 50 patients with the disease to 200 without it. What measure of association is typically reported in case-control studies?
- Relative risk (RR)
- Odds ratio (OR) (Correct answer)
- Attributable risk
- Number needed to harm (NNH)
Correct answer: Odds ratio (OR)
Case-control studies calculate the odds ratio because incidence rates cannot be directly determined from a retrospective design that selects on outcome.
Question 6: A BMAT biology scenario describes blood moving from the right ventricle. Which vessel does it enter directly?
- Aorta
- Pulmonary artery (Correct answer)
- Pulmonary vein
- Superior vena cava
Correct answer: Pulmonary artery
Deoxygenated blood is pumped from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery, which carries it to the lungs for oxygenation.
Question 7: A data set has values: 3, 7, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15. Which measure of central tendency is most affected if the value 15 is changed to 150?
- Median
- Mode
- Mean (Correct answer)
- Range alone — no central tendency is affected
Correct answer: Mean
The mean incorporates every data value, so an extreme outlier like 150 pulls it significantly upward, while the median and mode remain unchanged.
BMAT Case Studies & Practical Application 5
A patient with type 1 diabetes presents with Kussmaul breathing, fruity breath, and blood glucose of 28 mmol/L.
What is the most likely diagnosis?