BATES COMPREHENSIVE EXAM STUDY
GUIDE COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS
●● A patient comes to the emergency room for evaluation of shortness
of breath. To which anatomic region would you assign the symptom?
A) Reproductive
B) Urinary
C) Cardiac
D) Hematologic
Answer: C) Cardiac
Cardiac disorders such as congestive heart failure are the most likely on
this list to result in shortness of breath. There are cases within the other
categories which may also result
in shortness of breath, such as anemia in the hematologic category,
pregnancy in the reproductive
category, or sepsis with UTI in the urinary category.
●● A patient presents for evaluation of a cough. Which of the following
anatomic regions can be responsible for a cough?
,A) Ophthalmologic
B) Auditory
C) Cardiac
D) Endocrine
Answer: C) Cardiac
The cardiac system can cause a cough if the patient has congestive heart
failure. This results in fluid buildup in the lungs, which in turn can cause
a cough that produces pink,
frothy sputum. A foreign body in the ear may also cause a cough by
stimulating Arnold's branch of the vagus nerve, but this is less likely to
be seen clinically than heart failure.
●● A 22-year-old advertising copywriter presents for evaluation of joint
pain. The pain is new,
located in the wrists and fingers bilaterally, with some subjective fever.
The patient denies a
rash; she also denies recent travel or camping activities. She has a family
history significant for
rheumatoid arthritis. Based on this information, which of the following
pathologic processes
would be the most correct?
A) Infectious
,B) Inflammatory
C) Hematologic
D) Traumatic
Answer: B) Inflammatory
The description is most consistent with an inflammatory process,
although all the other etiologies should be considered. Lyme disease is
an infection which commonly causes
arthritis, hemophilia is a hematologic condition which can cause
bleeding in the joints, and trauma can obviously cause joint pain.
●● A 47-year-old contractor presents for evaluation of neck pain, which
has been intermittent for several years. He normally takes over-the-
counter medications to ease the pain, but this time they haven't worked
as well and he still has discomfort. He recently wallpapered the entire
second floor in his house, which caused him great discomfort. The pain
resolved with rest. He denies fever, chills, rash, upper respiratory
symptoms, trauma, or injury to the neck. Based on this description, what
is the most likely pathologic process?
A) Infectious
B) Neoplastic
C) Degenerative
D) Traumatic
Answer: C) Degenerative
, The description is most consistent with degenerative arthritis in the neck.
The
patient has had intermittent symptoms and the questions asked to elicit
pertinent negative and
positive findings are negative for infectious, traumatic, or neoplastic
disease.
●● A 15-year-old high school sophomore comes to the clinic for
evaluation of a 3-week history
of sneezing; itchy, watery eyes; clear nasal discharge; ear pain; and
nonproductive cough. Which
is the most likely pathologic process?
A) Infection
B) Inflammation
C) Allergic
D) Vascular
Answer: C) Allergic
This description is most consistent with allergic rhinitis.
●● A 19-year old-college student presents to the emergency room with
fever, headache, and
GUIDE COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS
●● A patient comes to the emergency room for evaluation of shortness
of breath. To which anatomic region would you assign the symptom?
A) Reproductive
B) Urinary
C) Cardiac
D) Hematologic
Answer: C) Cardiac
Cardiac disorders such as congestive heart failure are the most likely on
this list to result in shortness of breath. There are cases within the other
categories which may also result
in shortness of breath, such as anemia in the hematologic category,
pregnancy in the reproductive
category, or sepsis with UTI in the urinary category.
●● A patient presents for evaluation of a cough. Which of the following
anatomic regions can be responsible for a cough?
,A) Ophthalmologic
B) Auditory
C) Cardiac
D) Endocrine
Answer: C) Cardiac
The cardiac system can cause a cough if the patient has congestive heart
failure. This results in fluid buildup in the lungs, which in turn can cause
a cough that produces pink,
frothy sputum. A foreign body in the ear may also cause a cough by
stimulating Arnold's branch of the vagus nerve, but this is less likely to
be seen clinically than heart failure.
●● A 22-year-old advertising copywriter presents for evaluation of joint
pain. The pain is new,
located in the wrists and fingers bilaterally, with some subjective fever.
The patient denies a
rash; she also denies recent travel or camping activities. She has a family
history significant for
rheumatoid arthritis. Based on this information, which of the following
pathologic processes
would be the most correct?
A) Infectious
,B) Inflammatory
C) Hematologic
D) Traumatic
Answer: B) Inflammatory
The description is most consistent with an inflammatory process,
although all the other etiologies should be considered. Lyme disease is
an infection which commonly causes
arthritis, hemophilia is a hematologic condition which can cause
bleeding in the joints, and trauma can obviously cause joint pain.
●● A 47-year-old contractor presents for evaluation of neck pain, which
has been intermittent for several years. He normally takes over-the-
counter medications to ease the pain, but this time they haven't worked
as well and he still has discomfort. He recently wallpapered the entire
second floor in his house, which caused him great discomfort. The pain
resolved with rest. He denies fever, chills, rash, upper respiratory
symptoms, trauma, or injury to the neck. Based on this description, what
is the most likely pathologic process?
A) Infectious
B) Neoplastic
C) Degenerative
D) Traumatic
Answer: C) Degenerative
, The description is most consistent with degenerative arthritis in the neck.
The
patient has had intermittent symptoms and the questions asked to elicit
pertinent negative and
positive findings are negative for infectious, traumatic, or neoplastic
disease.
●● A 15-year-old high school sophomore comes to the clinic for
evaluation of a 3-week history
of sneezing; itchy, watery eyes; clear nasal discharge; ear pain; and
nonproductive cough. Which
is the most likely pathologic process?
A) Infection
B) Inflammation
C) Allergic
D) Vascular
Answer: C) Allergic
This description is most consistent with allergic rhinitis.
●● A 19-year old-college student presents to the emergency room with
fever, headache, and
