CARDIOLOGY BOARDS ABIM TEST
2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS
◉ Gene nkx2.5 most associated with? Answer: autosomal dominant
ASD and AV block (2 things, in the middle)
◉ Heart defect with holt Oran? Gene? Answer: ASD; tbx5 (Holt! He's
got tb! and it will progress!)
Progressive heart block
◉ Constrictive vs restrictive physiology Answer: * Constrictive =
equalization of pressures in all 4 chambers (consistent) (consistent
pressures, changes with respiration, bounce (C looks like a ball)
* RVEDP=lvedp
* Ra = wedge
*septal bounce
*marked changes in mitral velocity with inspiration and expiration
Restrictive: left sided pressures higher than right sided pressures. Large
atria. LVEDP>/=5 above RVEDP, LVEDP = LA and > RA pressure and
RVEDP. RVSP >50 (constrictive < 50 mmHg).
,PVR higher in restrictive.
Systolic pressure should be mostly normal in both though.
◉ What defect does retinoic acid cause? Answer: TOF (taussig had bad
acne)
◉ What drugs cause malignant hyperthermia?
Mechanism? Answer: succinylcholine (Sucs is depolarizing, so causes
this, other neuromuscular blockers like roc and vec are non-depolarizing
so do not)
Also inhaled anesthetics (fluoranes) the flu succs and causes fever
Block magnesium regulatory effect on SR leading to increased
intracellular calcium
◉ Balloon sizes for pulmonary vs aortic valves vs mitral vs tricuspid.
Pulmonary artery? Answer: tricuspid = 150%, pulmonary (120% to start,
170% if double balloon), mitral ((height in cm/10)+10), and aortic valve
(80-90% to start stop at 100%)
,Pulmonary artery 2.5-3.5 diameter of stenosis, but no more than 2X
normal diameter
Go down by 10's starting at 150
◉ Gene for alagilles?
Cardiac and facial findings? Answer: Jag 1 (ag is in alagilles)
Triangular face, prominent forehead
TOF, branch PS
◉ How do you know if wide complex on EP study? Answer: Takes up a
whole box
◉ How do you know rate on EP study? Answer: 300, 150, 100, 75, 60,
50 x 2
◉ Right vs left sided pathway? Answer: Once in tachycardia, look at CS
catheter and see where earliest depolarization is (1,2 is leftward) so if
1,2 depolarizes earlier it is left sided
◉ EP catheter names and locations
, HBE -
HRA -
His:
CS:
CS prox:
CS distal: Answer: HBE - his bundle electrogram
HRA - high right atrium
His: anterior (his junk is anterior)
CS: posterior
CS prox: R
CS distal: L
◉ Cardiac and dysmorphic features of noonan syndrome, gene
What other disease has similar feature and same gene? Answer: Multi-
level PS (not ammenable to cath) and HCM. Short, webbed neck. Male
turners. PTPN11 mutation in RAS/MAP pathway. Autosomal dominant.
Need some blue raz and a map in the high noon desert. PTP is multi
level P's and N for noonan
LEOPARD syndrome
2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS
◉ Gene nkx2.5 most associated with? Answer: autosomal dominant
ASD and AV block (2 things, in the middle)
◉ Heart defect with holt Oran? Gene? Answer: ASD; tbx5 (Holt! He's
got tb! and it will progress!)
Progressive heart block
◉ Constrictive vs restrictive physiology Answer: * Constrictive =
equalization of pressures in all 4 chambers (consistent) (consistent
pressures, changes with respiration, bounce (C looks like a ball)
* RVEDP=lvedp
* Ra = wedge
*septal bounce
*marked changes in mitral velocity with inspiration and expiration
Restrictive: left sided pressures higher than right sided pressures. Large
atria. LVEDP>/=5 above RVEDP, LVEDP = LA and > RA pressure and
RVEDP. RVSP >50 (constrictive < 50 mmHg).
,PVR higher in restrictive.
Systolic pressure should be mostly normal in both though.
◉ What defect does retinoic acid cause? Answer: TOF (taussig had bad
acne)
◉ What drugs cause malignant hyperthermia?
Mechanism? Answer: succinylcholine (Sucs is depolarizing, so causes
this, other neuromuscular blockers like roc and vec are non-depolarizing
so do not)
Also inhaled anesthetics (fluoranes) the flu succs and causes fever
Block magnesium regulatory effect on SR leading to increased
intracellular calcium
◉ Balloon sizes for pulmonary vs aortic valves vs mitral vs tricuspid.
Pulmonary artery? Answer: tricuspid = 150%, pulmonary (120% to start,
170% if double balloon), mitral ((height in cm/10)+10), and aortic valve
(80-90% to start stop at 100%)
,Pulmonary artery 2.5-3.5 diameter of stenosis, but no more than 2X
normal diameter
Go down by 10's starting at 150
◉ Gene for alagilles?
Cardiac and facial findings? Answer: Jag 1 (ag is in alagilles)
Triangular face, prominent forehead
TOF, branch PS
◉ How do you know if wide complex on EP study? Answer: Takes up a
whole box
◉ How do you know rate on EP study? Answer: 300, 150, 100, 75, 60,
50 x 2
◉ Right vs left sided pathway? Answer: Once in tachycardia, look at CS
catheter and see where earliest depolarization is (1,2 is leftward) so if
1,2 depolarizes earlier it is left sided
◉ EP catheter names and locations
, HBE -
HRA -
His:
CS:
CS prox:
CS distal: Answer: HBE - his bundle electrogram
HRA - high right atrium
His: anterior (his junk is anterior)
CS: posterior
CS prox: R
CS distal: L
◉ Cardiac and dysmorphic features of noonan syndrome, gene
What other disease has similar feature and same gene? Answer: Multi-
level PS (not ammenable to cath) and HCM. Short, webbed neck. Male
turners. PTPN11 mutation in RAS/MAP pathway. Autosomal dominant.
Need some blue raz and a map in the high noon desert. PTP is multi
level P's and N for noonan
LEOPARD syndrome
