Thorax/Abdomen Practice Questions

Question 1

A 27-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 45 minutes after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. He is agitated. He has pain in his upper right arm, which he is cradling in his left arm. His temperature is 36.7°C (98°F), pulse is 135/min, respirations are 25/min, and blood pressure is 145/90 mm Hg. His breathing is shallow. Pulse oximetry on 100% oxygen via a non-rebreather face mask shows an oxygen saturation of 83%. He is confused and oriented only to person. Examination shows multiple bruises on the right anterior thoracic wall. The pupils are equal and reactive to light. On inspiration, his right chest wall demonstrates paradoxical inward movement while his left chest wall is expanding. There is pain to palpation and crepitus over his right anterior ribs. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. An x-ray of the chest is shown. Two large-bore IVs are placed. After fluid resuscitation and analgesia, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Intubation with positive pressure ventilation

Answer

Bedside thoracotomy

Answer

Surgical fixation of right third to sixth ribs

Answer

Placement of a chest tube

Answer

CT scan of the chest

Question 2

A 17-year-old boy presents to the emergency department for the evaluation of severe chest pain that started one hour ago. The pain suddenly began after he lifted a heavy object and the pain is constant. He has no history of a serious illness and takes no medications. His blood pressure is 125/85 mm Hg, the pulse is 89/min, the respiratory rate is 15/min, and the temperature is 36.7°C (98.1°F). Examination of the supraclavicular notch shows mild swelling of the skin with crepitation on palpation. Auscultation of the precordium in the left lateral decubitus position reveals a clicking sound with every heartbeat. The remainder of the physical examination shows no abnormalities. A chest X-ray is shown. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

Supplemental oxygen

Answer

Needle aspiration

Answer

Surgical exploration

Answer

Chest tube

Answer

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

Question 3

A 72-year-old man presents to the emergency department after a fall. The patient was found lying down on the floor in his room in his retirement community. The patient has a past medical history of Alzheimer dementia and a prosthetic valve. His current medications include donepezil and warfarin. His temperature is 97.7°F (36.5°C), blood pressure is 85/50 mmHg, pulse is 160/min, respirations are 13/min, and oxygen saturation is 97% on room air. The patient is started on IV fluids and a type and screen is performed. Laboratory values are ordered as seen below.

Hemoglobin: 13 g/dL
Hematocrit: 39%
Leukocyte count: 5,500 cells/mm^3 with normal differential
Platelet count: 225,000/mm^3

INR: 2.5
AST: 10 U/L
ALT: 12 U/L

A chest radiograph and EKG are performed and are within normal limits. A full physical exam is within normal limits. The patient's vitals are repeated. His temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), blood pressure is 110/70 mmHg, pulse is 90/min, respirations are 10/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

Accepted Answer

CT scan

Answer

Urgent blood transfusion

Answer

Fresh frozen plasma

Answer

Exploratory laparoscopy

Answer

Exploratory laparotomy

Question 4

A 71-year-old man is admitted to the hospital one hour after he was found unconscious. His pulse is 80/min and systolic blood pressure is 98 mm Hg; diastolic blood pressure cannot be measured. He is intubated and mechanically ventilated with supplemental oxygen at a tidal volume of 450 mL and a respiratory rate of 10/min. Arterial blood gas analysis shows:
PCO2 43 mm Hg
O2 saturation 94%
O2 content 169 mL/L
Pulmonary artery catheterization shows a pulmonary artery pressure of 15 mm Hg and a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure of 7 mm Hg. Bedside indirect calorimetry shows a rate of O2 tissue consumption of 325 mL/min. Given this information, which of the following additional values is sufficient to calculate the cardiac output in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Pulmonary artery oxygen content

Answer

Left ventricular end-diastolic volume

Answer

Partial pressure of inspired oxygen

Answer

End-tidal carbon dioxide pressure

Answer

Total peripheral resistance

Question 5

A 32-year-old woman comes to the physician for a screening health examination that is required for scuba diving certification. The physician asks her to perform a breathing technique: following deep inspiration, she is instructed to forcefully exhale against a closed airway and contract her abdominal muscles while different cardiovascular parameters are evaluated. Which of the following effects is most likely after 10 seconds in this position?

Accepted Answer

Decreased left ventricular stroke volume

Answer

Decreased intra-abdominal pressure

Answer

Decreased pulse rate

Answer

Decreased systemic vascular resistance

Answer

Increased venous return to left atrium

Question 6

A 27-year-old soldier is brought to the emergency department of a military hospital 20 minutes after being involved in a motor vehicle accident during a training exercise. He was an unrestrained passenger. On arrival, he has shortness of breath and chest pain. He appears pale and anxious. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 110/min, respirations are 20/min, and blood pressure is 100/65 mm Hg. He is alert and oriented to person, place, and time. Examination shows pale conjunctivae and mucous membranes. There is bruising on the chest, extremities, and abdomen. The lungs are clear to auscultation. He has normal heart sounds and flat neck veins. The abdomen is flat, soft, and mildly tender. The remainder of the physical examination shows no abnormalities. High-flow oxygen is applied, and intravenous fluid resuscitation is begun. A chest x-ray is obtained. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

Accepted Answer

CT scan of the chest with contrast

Answer

Placement of a chest tube

Answer

Pericardiocentesis

Answer

Abdominal ultrasonography

Answer

Intubation with positive pressure ventilation

Question 7

A 28-year-old female comes to the emergency department complaining of heart palpitations. She has had multiple episodes of these in the past few months. She has found that if she wears tight clothing then sometimes these episodes will stop spontaneously. On presentation to the ED, she feels like her heart is pounding and reports feeling nauseous. She appears mildly diaphoretic. Her blood pressure is 125/75 mmHg, pulse is 180/min, and respirations are 22/min with an O2 saturation of 99% on room air. A neck maneuver is performed and her pulse returns to 90/min with improvement of her symptoms. Stimulation of afferent fibers from which nerve are most responsible for the resolution of her symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Glossopharyngeal

Answer

Facial

Answer

Hypoglossal

Answer

Trigeminal

Answer

Vagus

Question 8

A 28-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 3-month history of pain in his left shoulder. He is physically active and plays baseball twice a week. The pain is reproduced when the shoulder is externally rotated against resistance. Injury of which of the following tendons is most likely in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Infraspinatus

Answer

Subscapularis

Answer

Pectoralis major

Answer

Supraspinatus

Answer

Teres major

Question 9

An 18-year-old man is brought to the emergency department 30 minutes after being stabbed in the chest during a fight. He has no other injuries. His pulse is 120/min, blood pressure is 90/60 mm Hg, and respirations are 22/min. Examination shows a 4-cm deep, straight stab wound in the 4th intercostal space 2 cm medial to the right midclavicular line. The knife most likely passed through which of the following structures?

Accepted Answer

Pectoral fascia, transversus thoracis muscle, right lung

Answer

Serratus anterior muscle, pleura, inferior vena cava

Answer

External oblique muscle, superior epigastric artery, azygos vein

Answer

Pectoralis minor muscle, dome of the diaphragm, right lobe of the liver

Answer

Intercostal muscles, internal thoracic artery, right heart

Question 10

A 23-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by a coworker for an injury sustained at work. He works in construction and accidentally shot himself in the chest with a nail gun. Physical examination shows a bleeding wound in the left hemithorax at the level of the 4th intercostal space at the midclavicular line. Which of the following structures is most likely injured in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Left upper lobe of the lung

Answer

Right atrium of the heart

Answer

Inferior vena cava

Answer

Left atrium of the heart

Answer

Superior vena cava

Thorax/Abdomen

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Thoracic wall and diaphragm

Pleura and lungs

Mediastinum and heart

Great vessels and lymphatics

Abdominal wall and inguinal region

Peritoneum and peritoneal cavity

GI tract anatomy (esophagus to rectum)

Liver, gallbladder and biliary tree

Spleen and pancreas

Kidneys and suprarenal glands

Retroperitoneal structures

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