Differential Diagnosis & Primary Care Practicum
Questions and Answers (Verified Answers)
1. Janet is a 30 year old woman who has been recently
diagnosed with a herniated disc at the level of L5-S1. She is
currently in the emergency room with suspician of cauda equna
compression. Which of the following is a sign or symptom of
cauda equina compression?
a. gastrocnemius weakness
b. reduced or absent ankle refles
c. numbness of the lateral foot
d. paresthesia of the perineum and buttocks
ANS d. paresthesia of the perineum and buttocks
,2. The patient has acute pancreatitis with 7 of the diagnostic
criteria from Ranson's Criteria. In order to plan care, the
clinician understands that this criteria score has which of the
following meanings?
a. a high mortality rate
b. an increased chance of recurrence
c. 7% chance of the disease becoming chronic
d. all of the above
ANS a. a high mortality rate
3. Reuben, age 24, has HIV and just had a routine viral load
test done. The results show a falling viral load What does
this indicate
a. a favorable diagnostic trend
b. disease progression
c. the need to be more aggressive with Reuben's medications
d. the eradication of the HIV
ANS a. a favorable diagnostic trend
,4. Which is the differentiating symptom mbetween labyrinthitis
and vestibular neuritis?
a. symptoms with vestibular neuritis are usually acute in onset,
whereas with labyrinthitis the onet is more gradual
b. hearing loss may be associated with vestibular neuritis,
but not with labyrinthitis
c. symptoms with labyrinthitis are usually acute in onset,
,whereas with ves- ticular neuritis the onset is more gradual
d. hearing loss may be associated with labyrinthitis ,but not
with vestibular neuritis.
ANS d. hearing loss may be associated with labyrinthitis ,but not with
vestibular neuritis
.
5. A 27 year old female presents with a chief complaint of
burning and pain on urination. She has no previous history of
urinary tract infection. what are
, some additional symptoms consistant with a diagnosis of lower
UTI?
a. back and abdominal pain
b. fever, chills, costovertebral angle (CVA) tenderness
c. blood in urine and frequency
d. foul-smelling discharge, perineal itch
ANS c. blood in urine and frequency
6. The differential diagnosis for vertigo can be classified
into which of the following categories
a. peripheral vestibular disease
b. CNS disorders
c. Systemic disorders
d. all of the above
ANS d. all of the above
7. Sam is a 25-year-old man who has been diagnosed with low
back strain based on his history of localized low back pain and
muscle spasm along with a normal neurological examination. As