COMSAE PHASE 2 EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What is the primary outcome measure in the Alzheimer's disease study? - ANS ...
The classification of a patient as showing progression or no progression of disease
as measured by a standard neuropsychological test of memory.
How many patients showed progression with the experimental drug in the
Alzheimer's study? - ANS ... 50 patients.
What is the total number of patients in the Alzheimer's study? - ANS ... 240
patients.
What calculation would best determine how many patients need to be treated for
one successful outcome in the Alzheimer's study? - ANS ... [50/(50 + 70)] / [75/(75
+ 45)]
What was the reduction in systolic blood pressure with combination therapy
compared to hydrochlorothiazide alone? - ANS ... 25 mmHg (95% CI = 15-35
mmHg, p = 0.049).
What conclusion can be drawn from the study comparing combination therapy to
hydrochlorothiazide alone? - ANS ... There is an approximate 5% probability that
the decrease in systolic blood pressure was due to chance.
Which study design is most appropriate to evaluate the relationship between
nasopharyngeal cancer and exposure to wood products? - ANS ... Case control
study.
,What is the strongest study design to evaluate the efficacy of yoga for patients
with ADHD? - ANS ... Randomized clinical trial.
What was the smoking history of the 56-year-old man with a lesion on his tongue? -
ANS ... A 60 pack-year history.
What did the 56-year-old man refuse after counseling regarding his tongue lesion?
- ANS ... Further evaluation of the lesion.
What is the main concern of the 56-year-old man regarding his treatment options?
- ANS ... He does not want 'a bunch of doctors messing' with him.
What is the significance of a p-value of 0.049 in the hypertension study? - ANS ... It
indicates that the results are statistically significant, with a less than 5% probability
that the results are due to chance.
In the study evaluating combination therapy for hypertension, what was the control
treatment? - ANS ... Hydrochlorothiazide alone.
What type of study design is a randomized clinical trial? - ANS ... A study design
that randomly assigns participants to treatment or control groups to evaluate the
efficacy of interventions.
What is the purpose of a case control study? - ANS ... To compare individuals with
a specific condition to those without the condition to identify potential risk factors.
What does the term 'cross-sectional study' refer to? - ANS ... A study design that
analyzes data from a population at a specific point in time.
,What is the role of a cohort study in medical research? - ANS ... To follow a group
of individuals over time to assess the effects of certain exposures on outcomes.
What is the primary focus of an ecological study? - ANS ... To examine the
relationships between environmental factors and health outcomes at a population
level.
What is the significance of a 95% confidence interval in clinical studies? - ANS ... It
indicates the range within which the true effect size is likely to fall 95% of the time.
What does the term 'efficacy' refer to in the context of medical treatments? - ANS
... The ability of a treatment to produce a desired effect under ideal conditions.
What is the importance of randomization in clinical trials? - ANS ... It helps to
eliminate bias and ensures that the treatment groups are comparable.
What is the main outcome of interest in the study of yoga for ADHD? - ANS ... The
calming effect of yoga on patients diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder.
What is the significance of a 'double-blind' study design? - ANS ... Neither the
participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment or the placebo,
reducing bias.
What ethical value should a physician's response to a patient's decision reflect? -
ANS ... Autonomy
What is the most appropriate question to ask a patient concerned about prostate
cancer due to family history? - ANS ... "Did any female relatives develop breast or
ovarian cancer?"
, In a medical malpractice case, what must be proven to establish liability? - ANS ...
Proximate cause
When is a child with varicella contagious? - ANS ... From the time of exposure until
the crusting over of the last lesion.
What does a relative risk of 1.5 indicate in a study on vitamin A and hip fracture? -
ANS ... Vitamin A supplementation probably results in an increased risk of hip
fracture.
Which antibiotic was associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular
death according to the study? - ANS ... Azithromycin
What is the hazard ratio for cardiovascular death associated with Amoxicillin? -
ANS ... 0.95 (95% CI: 0.55-1.63)
What is the hazard ratio for cardiovascular death associated with Levofloxacin? -
ANS ... 1.60 (95% CI: 0.82-2.72)
What is the hazard ratio for cardiovascular death associated with Ciprofloxacin? -
ANS ... 0.86 (95% CI: 0.62-1.73)
What is the total number of patients who received no antibiotic in the study? - ANS
... 1,391,180
What was the number of cardiovascular deaths among patients treated with
Azithromycin? - ANS ... 29
What is the significance of a 95% confidence interval (CI) in a study? - ANS ... It
indicates the range in which the true effect size is likely to fall 95% of the time.
ANSWERS
What is the primary outcome measure in the Alzheimer's disease study? - ANS ...
The classification of a patient as showing progression or no progression of disease
as measured by a standard neuropsychological test of memory.
How many patients showed progression with the experimental drug in the
Alzheimer's study? - ANS ... 50 patients.
What is the total number of patients in the Alzheimer's study? - ANS ... 240
patients.
What calculation would best determine how many patients need to be treated for
one successful outcome in the Alzheimer's study? - ANS ... [50/(50 + 70)] / [75/(75
+ 45)]
What was the reduction in systolic blood pressure with combination therapy
compared to hydrochlorothiazide alone? - ANS ... 25 mmHg (95% CI = 15-35
mmHg, p = 0.049).
What conclusion can be drawn from the study comparing combination therapy to
hydrochlorothiazide alone? - ANS ... There is an approximate 5% probability that
the decrease in systolic blood pressure was due to chance.
Which study design is most appropriate to evaluate the relationship between
nasopharyngeal cancer and exposure to wood products? - ANS ... Case control
study.
,What is the strongest study design to evaluate the efficacy of yoga for patients
with ADHD? - ANS ... Randomized clinical trial.
What was the smoking history of the 56-year-old man with a lesion on his tongue? -
ANS ... A 60 pack-year history.
What did the 56-year-old man refuse after counseling regarding his tongue lesion?
- ANS ... Further evaluation of the lesion.
What is the main concern of the 56-year-old man regarding his treatment options?
- ANS ... He does not want 'a bunch of doctors messing' with him.
What is the significance of a p-value of 0.049 in the hypertension study? - ANS ... It
indicates that the results are statistically significant, with a less than 5% probability
that the results are due to chance.
In the study evaluating combination therapy for hypertension, what was the control
treatment? - ANS ... Hydrochlorothiazide alone.
What type of study design is a randomized clinical trial? - ANS ... A study design
that randomly assigns participants to treatment or control groups to evaluate the
efficacy of interventions.
What is the purpose of a case control study? - ANS ... To compare individuals with
a specific condition to those without the condition to identify potential risk factors.
What does the term 'cross-sectional study' refer to? - ANS ... A study design that
analyzes data from a population at a specific point in time.
,What is the role of a cohort study in medical research? - ANS ... To follow a group
of individuals over time to assess the effects of certain exposures on outcomes.
What is the primary focus of an ecological study? - ANS ... To examine the
relationships between environmental factors and health outcomes at a population
level.
What is the significance of a 95% confidence interval in clinical studies? - ANS ... It
indicates the range within which the true effect size is likely to fall 95% of the time.
What does the term 'efficacy' refer to in the context of medical treatments? - ANS
... The ability of a treatment to produce a desired effect under ideal conditions.
What is the importance of randomization in clinical trials? - ANS ... It helps to
eliminate bias and ensures that the treatment groups are comparable.
What is the main outcome of interest in the study of yoga for ADHD? - ANS ... The
calming effect of yoga on patients diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder.
What is the significance of a 'double-blind' study design? - ANS ... Neither the
participants nor the researchers know who is receiving the treatment or the placebo,
reducing bias.
What ethical value should a physician's response to a patient's decision reflect? -
ANS ... Autonomy
What is the most appropriate question to ask a patient concerned about prostate
cancer due to family history? - ANS ... "Did any female relatives develop breast or
ovarian cancer?"
, In a medical malpractice case, what must be proven to establish liability? - ANS ...
Proximate cause
When is a child with varicella contagious? - ANS ... From the time of exposure until
the crusting over of the last lesion.
What does a relative risk of 1.5 indicate in a study on vitamin A and hip fracture? -
ANS ... Vitamin A supplementation probably results in an increased risk of hip
fracture.
Which antibiotic was associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular
death according to the study? - ANS ... Azithromycin
What is the hazard ratio for cardiovascular death associated with Amoxicillin? -
ANS ... 0.95 (95% CI: 0.55-1.63)
What is the hazard ratio for cardiovascular death associated with Levofloxacin? -
ANS ... 1.60 (95% CI: 0.82-2.72)
What is the hazard ratio for cardiovascular death associated with Ciprofloxacin? -
ANS ... 0.86 (95% CI: 0.62-1.73)
What is the total number of patients who received no antibiotic in the study? - ANS
... 1,391,180
What was the number of cardiovascular deaths among patients treated with
Azithromycin? - ANS ... 29
What is the significance of a 95% confidence interval (CI) in a study? - ANS ... It
indicates the range in which the true effect size is likely to fall 95% of the time.
