Abdominal emergencies — MCQs

A 17-year-old girl is admitted to the emergency department with severe retrosternal chest pain. The pain began suddenly after an episode of self-induced vomiting following a large meal. The patient’s parents say that she is very restricted in the foods she eats and induces vomiting frequently after meals. Vital signs are as follows: blood pressure 100/60 mm Hg, heart rate 98/min, respiratory rate 14/min, and temperature 37.9℃ (100.2℉). The patient is pale and in severe distress. Lungs are clear to auscultation. On cardiac examination, a crunching, raspy sound is auscultated over the precordium that is synchronous with the heartbeat. The abdomen is soft and nontender. Which of the following tests would most likely confirm the diagnosis in this patient?

A 39-year-old man presents with painless swelling of the right testis and a sensation of heaviness. The physical examination revealed an intra-testicular solid mass that could not be felt separately from the testis. After a thorough evaluation, he was diagnosed with testicular seminoma. Which of the following group of lymph nodes are most likely involved?

A 17-year-old girl comes to the physician for a scheduled colonoscopy. She was diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis at the age of 13 years. Last year, her flexible sigmoidoscopy showed 12 adenomatous polyps (< 6 mm) that were removed endoscopically. Her father and her paternal grandmother were diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 37 and 39 years, respectively. The patient appears nervous but otherwise well. Her vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows no abnormalities. A complete blood count and serum concentrations of electrolytes, urea nitrogen, and creatinine are within the reference range. A colonoscopy shows hundreds of diffuse 4–9 mm adenomatous polyps covering the colon and > 30 rectal adenomas. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 45-year-old woman comes to the emergency department complaining of abdominal pain for the past day. The pain is situated in the right upper quadrant, colicky, 8/10, and radiates to the tip of the right shoulder with no aggravating or relieving factors. The pain is associated with nausea but no vomiting. She tried to take over-the-counter antacids which relieved her pain to a certain extent, but not entirely. She does not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol. She has no past medical illness. Her father died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 75, and her mother has diabetes controlled with medications. Temperature is 38°C (100.4°F), blood pressure is 125/89 mm Hg, pulse is 104/min, respiratory rate is 20/min, and BMI is 29 kg/m2. On abdominal examination, her abdomen is tender to shallow and deep palpation of the right upper quadrant. Laboratory test Complete blood count Hemoglobin 13 g/dL WBC 15,500/mm3 Platelets 145,000/mm3 Basic metabolic panel Serum Na+ 137 mEq/L Serum K+ 3.6 mEq/L Serum Cl- 95 mEq/L Serum HCO3- 25 mEq/L BUN 10 mg/dL Serum creatinine 0.8 mg/dL Liver function test Total bilirubin 1.3 mg/dL AST 52 U/L ALT 60 U/L Ultrasonography of the abdomen shows normal findings. What is the best next step in management of this patient?

Three days after undergoing an open cholecystectomy, a 73-year-old man has fever and abdominal pain. He has hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. He had smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 40 years but quit 1 year ago. He does not drink alcohol. Prior to admission to the hospital, his medications included lisinopril, metformin, ipratropium, and tamsulosin. He appears acutely ill and lethargic. His temperature is 39.5°C (103.1°F), pulse is 108/min, respirations are 18/min, and blood pressure is 110/84 mm Hg. He is oriented only to person. Examination shows a 10-cm subcostal incision that appears dry and non-erythematous. Scattered expiratory wheezing is heard throughout both lung fields. His abdomen is distended with tenderness to palpation over the lower quadrants. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 10.1 g/dl Leukocyte count 19,000/mm3 Serum Glucose 180 mg/dl Urea Nitrogen 25 mg/dl Creatinine 1.2 mg/dl Lactic acid 2.5 mEq/L (N = 0.5 - 2.2 mEq/L) Urine Protein 1+ RBC 1–2/hpf WBC 32–38/hpf Which of the following is the most likely underlying mechanism of this patient's current condition?

A 58-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of a 2-day history of worsening upper abdominal pain. She reports nausea and vomiting, and is unable to tolerate oral intake. She appears uncomfortable. Her temperature is 38.1°C (100.6°F), pulse is 92/min, respirations are 18/min, and blood pressure is 132/85 mm Hg. Examination shows yellowish discoloration of her sclera. Her abdomen is tender in the right upper quadrant. There is no abdominal distention or organomegaly. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 13 g/dL Leukocyte count 16,000/mm3 Serum Urea nitrogen 25 mg/dL Creatinine 2 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase 432 U/L Alanine aminotransferase 196 U/L Aspartate transaminase 207 U/L Bilirubin Total 3.8 mg/dL Direct 2.7 mg/dL Lipase 82 U/L (N = 14–280) Ultrasound of the right upper quadrant shows dilated intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and multiple hyperechoic spheres within the gallbladder. The pancreas is not well visualized. Intravenous fluid resuscitation and antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone and metronidazole is begun. Twelve hours later, the patient appears acutely ill and is not oriented to time. Her temperature is 39.1°C (102.4°F), pulse is 105/min, respirations are 22/min, and blood pressure is 112/82 mm Hg. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 51-year-old man presents to the emergency department with complaints of upper abdominal pain for the last several hours. He says that the pain travels to his back and is less severe when he leans forward. He is diagnosed with acute pancreatitis following enzyme analysis and CT scan of the abdomen and is subsequently managed in intensive care unit (ICU) with IV fluids, analgesics, nasogastric decompression, and supportive therapy. He recovers quickly and is discharged within a week. However, after 5 weeks, the patient develops projectile vomiting containing food but no bile. Physical examination shows visible peristalsis from left to right in the upper abdomen. A repeat CT scan is done. Which of the following is the next best step in the management of this patient?

A 72-year-old man presents to his primary care physician complaining of pain and bulging in his groin. He is otherwise healthy and has never had surgery. He is referred to a general surgeon, and is scheduled for an elective hernia repair the following week. On closer inspection in the operating room, the surgeon notes a hernia sac that protrudes medial to the inferior epigastric vessels through a weakness in the posterior wall of the inguinal canal. Which of the following accurately describes this patient's condition?

A 65-year-old obese female presents to the emergency room complaining of severe abdominal pain. She reports pain localized to the epigastrium that radiates to the right scapula. The pain occurred suddenly after a fast food meal with her grandchildren. Her temperature is 100.9°F (38.2°C), blood pressure is 140/85 mmHg, pulse is 108/min, and respirations are 20/min. On examination, she demonstrates tenderness to palpation in the epigastrium. She experiences inspiratory arrest during deep palpation of the right upper quadrant but this exam finding is not present on the left upper quadrant. A blockage at which of the following locations is most likely causing this patient’s symptoms?

A 37-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with right upper quadrant (RUQ) pain. She reports that the pain is not new and usually starts within half an hour of eating a meal. The pain has been previously diagnosed as biliary colic, and she underwent a cholecystectomy three months ago for symptomatic biliary colic. Her liver reportedly looked normal at that time. The patient dates the onset of these episodes to shortly after she underwent a sleeve gastrectomy several years ago, and the episodes were more severe immediately following that surgery. Her postsurgical course was otherwise uncomplicated, and she has lost fifty pounds since then. She has a past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, and obesity. She denies alcohol or tobacco use. Her home medications are hydrochlorothiazide, enalapril, atorvastatin, and vitamin supplements. RUQ ultrasound reveals a surgically absent gallbladder and a dilated common bile duct without evidence of stones. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) shows no evidence of biliary compression or obstruction, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) shows no evidence of biliary stones or sludge. Laboratory tests are performed which reveal the following: ALT: 47 U/L AST: 56 U/L Alkaline phosphatase: 165 U/L Total bilirubin: 1.6 mg/dL Amylase: 135 U/L Lipase: 160 U/L Which of the following is definitive treatment of this patient's condition?