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Common Psychiatric Disorders Flashcards

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

Read the first 7 Common Psychiatric Disorders flashcards as text

  1. A 28-year-old woman presents with recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting, dental erosions, and parotid gland enlargement. Which electrolyte abnormality is most likely?

    Answer: Hypokalemia

    Repeated purging in bulimia nervosa causes loss of gastric acid, leading to hypokalemic, hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis.

  2. A 35-year-old man with schizophrenia develops high fever, muscle rigidity, diaphoresis, and altered consciousness after starting haloperidol. What is the most appropriate immediate management?

    Answer: Discontinue antipsychotic and provide supportive care

    Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) requires immediate discontinuation of the offending antipsychotic and aggressive supportive care including IV fluids and cooling.

  3. A 45-year-old with MDD has failed two adequate antidepressant trials. Which augmentation strategy has the strongest evidence base for treatment-resistant depression?

    Answer: Adding lithium or atypical antipsychotic

    Lithium augmentation and atypical antipsychotic augmentation (e.g., quetiapine, aripiprazole) have the best evidence for treatment-resistant depression.

  4. A 22-year-old college student fears being watched or judged in social situations, avoids classes, and has impaired daily functioning for over 6 months. What is the first-line pharmacological treatment?

    Answer: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)

    SSRIs (e.g., paroxetine, sertraline) are first-line pharmacotherapy for social anxiety disorder, with evidence for both acute and long-term treatment.

  5. A 60-year-old man presents with a 3-week history of depressed mood, anhedonia, psychomotor retardation, and 10 lb weight loss following his wife's death 2 months ago. Which finding most supports a diagnosis of MDD rather than normal bereavement?

    Answer: Marked functional impairment and suicidal ideation

    Marked functional impairment and suicidal ideation distinguish major depressive disorder from normal grief, which typically does not involve suicidality.

  6. A 32-year-old woman with bipolar I disorder is stable on lithium and becomes pregnant. What is the primary concern regarding lithium use in the first trimester?

    Answer: Ebstein's anomaly risk

    Lithium use in the first trimester carries a small but increased risk of Ebstein's anomaly, a cardiac malformation of the tricuspid valve.

  7. A 19-year-old man presents with a 6-month history of social withdrawal, flat affect, disorganized speech, and auditory hallucinations. He has no prior psychiatric history and no substance use. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Schizophrenia

    Schizophrenia requires at least 6 months of symptoms including at least 1 month of active-phase symptoms; this patient meets full criteria.