AEMCA PREP QUESTIONS AND ALL
ACTUAL ANSWERS.
What is a Malory-Weiss Tear? etiology? why is it relevant? - Answer bleeding from a tear in the
MUCOSA at the JUNCTION of the stomach + esophagus
etiology : severe retching, coughing, vomiting
relevance: cause of upper GI bleeding, usually benign
Normal portal vein pressure? Portal HTN pressure? - Answer normal : 5-10mmHg
portal HTN: >22mmHg
What is hepatic encephalopathy? - Answer Brain dysfunction and damage caused by increased
ammonia (a neurotoxin) in the blood, resulting from severe liver disease and inability for liver to
effeciently metabolize it
What causes ammonia to be released into the blood? What role does the liver have in blood
ammonia levels? - Answer -Protein breakdown produces ammonia as a byproduct
-Liver turns ammonia into urea so it can be excreted safely
-if the liver is dysfunctioning, ammonia is not converted to urea as efficiently and this builds up
Where does urea get excreted? - Answer in the urine
Normal blood pH - Answer 7.35-7.45 (slightly alkaline)
what causes jaundice? - Answer Normally, the liver filters bilirubin from the bloodstream and
releases it into the intestinal tract for removal in the feces (stercobilin), or urine (urobilin). A
diseased liver can't remove bilirubin quickly enough, causing an excess of bilirubin, which leads
to visible yellow pigment in the sclera and then skin
Why do endocrine disorders occur as a result of liver failure - Answer the liver is responsible
for helping to metabolize/break down hormones so that they do not continue to exert effects
longer than needed. if liver function is impaired, these hormones are not able to be broken
down and removed as normal, leaving to over effects of hormones (ex. decreased estrogen
breakdown leading to gynecomastia in males)
What is a colles fx? - Answer distal radius impacted fracture usually caused by FOOSH
what is azotemia? - Answer
, what are the renal waste products ? - Answer -urea (ammonia, which is a toxic byproduct of
protein breakdown is converted to this by the liver for safe excretion by the kidneys
-creatinine (normal byproduct of muscle contraction)
oliguria? - Answer Decreased urine output
dysuria - Answer difficult or painful urination
polyuria - Answer frequent urination
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) - Answer amount of plasma filtered through the glomeruli
per unit of time
how to we maintain GFR at an adequate rate? - Answer dilate afferent arteriole, constrict
efferent arteriole
--> this increases blood flow to glomerulus but a the same time increases the pressure it has to
overcome to enter the efferent arteriole THUS leading to a higher pressure and higher GFR
what are the 2 biggest contributors to chronic kidney disease - Answer -diabetes
-HTN
what actions should we take to treat a suspected pelvic fracture - Answer -apply pelvic
binder/tight sheet wrap
-secure to backboard/scoop
-not apply straps over injury
-secure feet together
-IV therapy
what are some S+S of CO poisoning? - Answer -headache
-dizziness
-nausea/vomiting
-decreased LOC
-dyspnea with SpO2 of 100%
how do we treat suspected CO poisoning? - Answer high concentration O2 (15lpm via NRB)
regardless of SpO2
ACTUAL ANSWERS.
What is a Malory-Weiss Tear? etiology? why is it relevant? - Answer bleeding from a tear in the
MUCOSA at the JUNCTION of the stomach + esophagus
etiology : severe retching, coughing, vomiting
relevance: cause of upper GI bleeding, usually benign
Normal portal vein pressure? Portal HTN pressure? - Answer normal : 5-10mmHg
portal HTN: >22mmHg
What is hepatic encephalopathy? - Answer Brain dysfunction and damage caused by increased
ammonia (a neurotoxin) in the blood, resulting from severe liver disease and inability for liver to
effeciently metabolize it
What causes ammonia to be released into the blood? What role does the liver have in blood
ammonia levels? - Answer -Protein breakdown produces ammonia as a byproduct
-Liver turns ammonia into urea so it can be excreted safely
-if the liver is dysfunctioning, ammonia is not converted to urea as efficiently and this builds up
Where does urea get excreted? - Answer in the urine
Normal blood pH - Answer 7.35-7.45 (slightly alkaline)
what causes jaundice? - Answer Normally, the liver filters bilirubin from the bloodstream and
releases it into the intestinal tract for removal in the feces (stercobilin), or urine (urobilin). A
diseased liver can't remove bilirubin quickly enough, causing an excess of bilirubin, which leads
to visible yellow pigment in the sclera and then skin
Why do endocrine disorders occur as a result of liver failure - Answer the liver is responsible
for helping to metabolize/break down hormones so that they do not continue to exert effects
longer than needed. if liver function is impaired, these hormones are not able to be broken
down and removed as normal, leaving to over effects of hormones (ex. decreased estrogen
breakdown leading to gynecomastia in males)
What is a colles fx? - Answer distal radius impacted fracture usually caused by FOOSH
what is azotemia? - Answer
, what are the renal waste products ? - Answer -urea (ammonia, which is a toxic byproduct of
protein breakdown is converted to this by the liver for safe excretion by the kidneys
-creatinine (normal byproduct of muscle contraction)
oliguria? - Answer Decreased urine output
dysuria - Answer difficult or painful urination
polyuria - Answer frequent urination
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) - Answer amount of plasma filtered through the glomeruli
per unit of time
how to we maintain GFR at an adequate rate? - Answer dilate afferent arteriole, constrict
efferent arteriole
--> this increases blood flow to glomerulus but a the same time increases the pressure it has to
overcome to enter the efferent arteriole THUS leading to a higher pressure and higher GFR
what are the 2 biggest contributors to chronic kidney disease - Answer -diabetes
-HTN
what actions should we take to treat a suspected pelvic fracture - Answer -apply pelvic
binder/tight sheet wrap
-secure to backboard/scoop
-not apply straps over injury
-secure feet together
-IV therapy
what are some S+S of CO poisoning? - Answer -headache
-dizziness
-nausea/vomiting
-decreased LOC
-dyspnea with SpO2 of 100%
how do we treat suspected CO poisoning? - Answer high concentration O2 (15lpm via NRB)
regardless of SpO2
