Gastroenterology — MCQs

A 16-year-old Caucasian boy presents to your family practice office complaining of itchiness. He denies other symptoms. He also denies tobacco, alcohol, or other illicit drug use and is not sexually active. He has no other significant past medical or surgical history aside from a meniscal repair from a wrestling injury sustained two years ago from which he has recovered fully. Vitals are T 98.3, HR 67, BP 110/70. On exam you note several pruritic, erythematous, slightly raised annular patches with central clearing on his back. Which of the following additional tests or features are sufficient to make the diagnosis of this boy's skin lesion?

A 29-year-old woman presents for an annual flu shot. She has no symptoms. Past medical history is significant for mild rheumatoid arthritis, diagnosed 3 years ago and managed with celecoxib and methotrexate. Current medications also include a daily folate-containing multivitamin. She also had 2 elective cesarean sections during her early 20s and an appendectomy in her teens. Her family history is insignificant. The patient does not consume alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or take recreational drugs. Her physical examination is unremarkable. Recent laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin (Hb) 14.2 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 103 fL Since she is asymptomatic, the patient asks if her medications can be discontinued. Which of the following diagnostic tests is the most useful for monitoring this patient’s condition and detecting the overall inflammatory state of the patient at this time?

A 65-year-old woman comes to the physician because of an 8-month history of worsening difficulties swallowing food and retrosternal chest discomfort. She reports that she sometimes has a feeling of "food getting stuck" in her throat and hears a "gurgling sound" from her throat while eating. She says that she occasionally coughs up pieces of undigested food. She has noticed a bad taste in her mouth and bad breath. She has not had fever or weight loss. She has been visiting Mexico every year for the past 7 years. She has Raynaud disease treated with nifedipine. Her father died because of gastric cancer. She had smoked one-half pack of cigarettes daily for 20 years but stopped 25 years ago. Vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Her hemoglobin concentration is 14 g/dL, leukocyte count is 9800/mm3, and platelet count is 215,000/mm3. An ECG shows sinus rhythm with no evidence of ischemia. Which of the following is most likely to confirm the diagnosis?

A 62-year-old man presents to the emergency department concerned about a large amount of blood in his recent bowel movement. He states he was at home when he noticed a large amount of red blood in his stool. He is not experiencing any pain and otherwise feels well. The patient has a past medical history of diabetes and obesity. His temperature is 98.9°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 147/88 mmHg, pulse is 90/min, respirations are 13/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Physical exam reveals a non-distressed man. His abdomen is non-tender, and he has normoactive bowel sounds. Stool guaiac test is positive for blood. The patient is started on IV fluids and kept nil per os. His next bowel movement 4 hours later appears grossly normal. Which of the following interventions will most likely reduce future complications in this patient?

Five days after undergoing an open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, a 68-year-old woman has crampy abdominal pain. During this period, she has also had two episodes of loose, bloody stools. Her surgery was complicated by severe blood loss requiring the administration of vasopressors and multiple transfusions. Cefazolin was administered as a perioperative antibiotic. The patient has hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and coronary artery disease. The patient has smoked 2 packs of cigarettes daily for 50 years and drinks 3–4 glasses of wine every week. Her current medications include hydrochlorothiazide, atorvastatin, amlodipine, aspirin, and metoprolol. She appears ill. Her temperature is 38.0°C (100.4°F), pulse is 110/min, and blood pressure is 96/58 mm Hg. Physical examination shows a distended abdomen with absent bowel sounds. The abdomen is exquisitely tender to palpation in all quadrants. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Cardiac examination shows an S4 gallop. An x-ray of the abdomen shows air-filled distended bowel. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 53-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis comes to the physician for a follow-up examination one week after being discharged from the hospital. While she was in the hospital, she received acetaminophen and erythropoietin. This patient most likely has which of the following additional conditions?

A 59-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician for trouble sleeping. The patient states that when she goes to bed at night she has an urge to get up out of bed and walk around. The patient often wakes her husband when she does this which irritates him. She states that there is a perpetual uneasiness and feeling of a need to move at night which is relieved by getting up and walking around. The patient denies symptoms during the day. She works as a mail carrier and is nearing retirement. She has a past medical history of anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and dysmenorrhea. She is not currently taking any medications. Her temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), blood pressure is 157/98 mmHg, pulse is 80/min, respirations are 17/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Physical exam reveals 5/5 strength in the upper and lower extremities, 2+ reflexes in the upper and lower extremities, a stable gait pattern, and normal sensation. Cardiopulmonary and abdominal exams are within normal limits. Which of the following is the best initial step in management?

A 55-year-old man presents to the emergency department for fever and altered mental status. The patient was found by his wife in his chair at home. She noticed he responded incoherently to her questions. He has a past medical history of pancreatitis and alcohol abuse and is currently in a rehabilitation program. His temperature is 103°F (39.4°C), blood pressure is 127/68 mmHg, pulse is 120/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Laboratory values are obtained and shown below. Serum: Na+: 139 mEq/L Cl-: 100 mEq/L K+: 4.3 mEq/L HCO3-: 25 mEq/L BUN: 29 mg/dL Glucose: 99 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.5 mg/dL Ca2+: 5.2 mg/dL AST: 12 U/L ALT: 10 U/L 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol: 50 nmol/L Physical exam notes a diffusely distended and tender abdomen. Which of the following is the most likely symptom this patient is experiencing secondary to his laboratory abnormalities?

A 46-year-old woman presents to her primary care provider reporting several weeks of fatigue and recent episodes of lightheadedness. She is concerned that she will have an episode while driving. She has never lost consciousness, and reports that there is no associated vertigo or dizziness. She states that she normally goes for a jog 3 times a week but that she has become winded much more easily and has not been able to run as far. On exam, her temperature is 97.9°F (36.6°C), blood pressure is 110/68 mmHg, pulse is 82/min, and respirations are 14/min. Auscultation of the lungs reveals no abnormalities. On laboratory testing, her hemoglobin is found to be 8.0 g/dL. At this point, the patient reveals that she was also recently diagnosed with fibroids, which have led to heavier and longer menstrual bleeds in the past several months. Which of the following would suggest that menstrual bleeding is the cause of this patient’s anemia?

A 75-year-old woman presents with episodic abdominal pain following meals for the past few years. She says these episodes have worsened over the past month. Past medical history is significant for type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosed 30 years ago, managed with metformin. Her most recent HbA1C last month was 10%. Vital signs include: blood pressure 110/70 mm Hg, pulse 80/min, and respiratory rate 16/min. Physical examination is unremarkable. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?