ANZCA Primary Definitions UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Term - CORRECT ANSWER - Definition
A-a Gradient - CORRECT ANSWER - The numerical difference between ideal alveolar
PAO2 and PaO2. An index of the amount of V/Q inequality and shunting which is present.
Absolute Humidity - CORRECT ANSWER - Mass of H2O vapour in a given volume of air
mg/L
Absorption - CORRECT ANSWER - The rate at which a drug leaves its site of administration
and the extent to which this occurs.
Acid - CORRECT ANSWER - A proton (or H+ ion) donor
Acidaemia - CORRECT ANSWER - Arterial blood pH < 7.35 or [H+] > 44 nmol/L
Acidosis - CORRECT ANSWER - An abnormal process or condition which tends to lower
arterial pH if there are inadequate secondary changes in response to the primary disease process.
Two types: Respiratory and metabolic.
Acquired Immunity - CORRECT ANSWER - "The delayed onset but specific and memory
immunity after the first line innate immunity is breached. First exposure allows identification and
learning, and the second exposure initiates quick mobilisation of lymphocytes. Major
components: Humoral Immunity (B lymphocytes producing specific antibodies), and Cellular
Immunity (T lymphocytes)"
,Active Tension (Muscle) - CORRECT ANSWER - Active tension: the difference between
passive and total tension
Activity (Acid-Base) - CORRECT ANSWER - The effective concentration of a substance in a
reacting system
Adiabetic Heat - CORRECT ANSWER - Heat produced when a gas is compressed
Affinity - CORRECT ANSWER - "Avidity with which a drug binds to a receptor (analogous
to potency), or ability to bind to a receptor and form a stable complex. Inverse of Kd."
Afterload - CORRECT ANSWER - Physiological def: Force restricting muscle fibre
shortening or weight/load that a contracting muscle must overcome prior to shortening.
<br>Clinical def: The impedance to the ejection of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta
Aging - CORRECT ANSWER - "A normal physiological process of degeneration beginning
around age 30 and proceeding at a variable rate with obvious changes becoming apparent at
around age 60, and the end point being death."
Agonist - CORRECT ANSWER - Binds to receptor to produce responses that may be
excitatory or inhibitory. Partial agonist displays intermediate efficacy.
Airway Resistance - CORRECT ANSWER - "The resistance to the movement of air through
the airways. It is dependent on lung volume, bronchial smooth muscle tone, bronchial mucosal
engorgement, density and viscosity of the inspired gas, and the respiratory rate."
Alkalaemia - CORRECT ANSWER - Arterial blood ph > 7.45 or [H+] < 36 mmol/L
Alkalosis - CORRECT ANSWER - An abnormal process or condition which tends to raise
arterial pH if there are inadequate secondary changes.
,Allodynia - CORRECT ANSWER - Pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke
pain. Stimulation of A beta fibres causes pain.
Alveolar Dead Space - CORRECT ANSWER - Part of inspired gas which passes through the
anatomical dead space and enters the alveoli but is not effective in gas exchange given impaired
perfusion.
Alveolar Ventilation - CORRECT ANSWER - "Effective ventilation of the alveoli, where gas
exchange with the blood takes place."
Ampere - CORRECT ANSWER - One Coulomb per second
Amplitude Linearity - CORRECT ANSWER - Amplifications of the signal should be equal
throughout the entire signal range to prevent distortion.
Anabolism - CORRECT ANSWER - Synthesis of cellular macromolecules
Anaesthesia - CORRECT ANSWER - Without sensation.
Analgesia - CORRECT ANSWER - Absence of pain in response to stimulation which would
normally be painful.
Analog Signal - CORRECT ANSWER - "A <b>continuous</b> signal for which the time
varying feature (variable) of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity,
i.e., analogous to another time varying signal."
Anaphylactoid Reaction - CORRECT ANSWER - "Clinically indistinguishable from
anaphylaxis but caused by complement activation or direct histamine release from mast cells.
*c.f. Anaphylaxis is a clinical syndrome produced by IgE type I hypersensitivity resulting from
antigen-antibody reaction at surface of mast cells. The syndrome manifests as red rash/flush,
bronchospasm, collapse, angioedema, GIT symptoms. Requires prior exposure to antigen."
, Anaphylatoxins - CORRECT ANSWER - C3a and C5a which bind specific receptors on mast
cells and basophils causing degranulation.
Anaphylaxis - CORRECT ANSWER - "A clinical syndrome produced by IgE type I
hypersensitivity resulting from antigen-antibody reaction at surface of mast cells. The syndrome
manifests as red rash/flush, bronchospasm, collapse, angioedema, GIT symptoms. Requires prior
exposure to antigen."
Anatomical Dead Space - CORRECT ANSWER - The internal volume of the conducting
airways or that part of the inspired TV which is expired unchanged.
Anion - CORRECT ANSWER - Negatively charged ion.
Anion Gap - CORRECT ANSWER - "An estimate of unmeasured cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+)
and unmeasured anions (plasma proteins, phosphate, sulphate, lactate, citrate, ketones) Some
causes of metabolic acidosis release anions into the ECF therefore creating an increased anion
gap."
Anode - CORRECT ANSWER - Positive electrode to which anion is attracted.
Anrep Effect - CORRECT ANSWER - Intrinsic regulatory mechanism of the heart whereby
an abrupt increase in afterload produces transient increase in LVEPD and decrease in SV
allowing prompt restoration to near baseline values.
Antagonist - CORRECT ANSWER - "A substance that interacts with receptor or other parts
of effector mechanism to inhibit the action of an agonist, while initiating no effect themselves."
ATPS - CORRECT ANSWER - "Ambient temperature and pressure, saturated with water
vapour (T amb, Pb, PH2O)"
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Term - CORRECT ANSWER - Definition
A-a Gradient - CORRECT ANSWER - The numerical difference between ideal alveolar
PAO2 and PaO2. An index of the amount of V/Q inequality and shunting which is present.
Absolute Humidity - CORRECT ANSWER - Mass of H2O vapour in a given volume of air
mg/L
Absorption - CORRECT ANSWER - The rate at which a drug leaves its site of administration
and the extent to which this occurs.
Acid - CORRECT ANSWER - A proton (or H+ ion) donor
Acidaemia - CORRECT ANSWER - Arterial blood pH < 7.35 or [H+] > 44 nmol/L
Acidosis - CORRECT ANSWER - An abnormal process or condition which tends to lower
arterial pH if there are inadequate secondary changes in response to the primary disease process.
Two types: Respiratory and metabolic.
Acquired Immunity - CORRECT ANSWER - "The delayed onset but specific and memory
immunity after the first line innate immunity is breached. First exposure allows identification and
learning, and the second exposure initiates quick mobilisation of lymphocytes. Major
components: Humoral Immunity (B lymphocytes producing specific antibodies), and Cellular
Immunity (T lymphocytes)"
,Active Tension (Muscle) - CORRECT ANSWER - Active tension: the difference between
passive and total tension
Activity (Acid-Base) - CORRECT ANSWER - The effective concentration of a substance in a
reacting system
Adiabetic Heat - CORRECT ANSWER - Heat produced when a gas is compressed
Affinity - CORRECT ANSWER - "Avidity with which a drug binds to a receptor (analogous
to potency), or ability to bind to a receptor and form a stable complex. Inverse of Kd."
Afterload - CORRECT ANSWER - Physiological def: Force restricting muscle fibre
shortening or weight/load that a contracting muscle must overcome prior to shortening.
<br>Clinical def: The impedance to the ejection of blood from the left ventricle into the aorta
Aging - CORRECT ANSWER - "A normal physiological process of degeneration beginning
around age 30 and proceeding at a variable rate with obvious changes becoming apparent at
around age 60, and the end point being death."
Agonist - CORRECT ANSWER - Binds to receptor to produce responses that may be
excitatory or inhibitory. Partial agonist displays intermediate efficacy.
Airway Resistance - CORRECT ANSWER - "The resistance to the movement of air through
the airways. It is dependent on lung volume, bronchial smooth muscle tone, bronchial mucosal
engorgement, density and viscosity of the inspired gas, and the respiratory rate."
Alkalaemia - CORRECT ANSWER - Arterial blood ph > 7.45 or [H+] < 36 mmol/L
Alkalosis - CORRECT ANSWER - An abnormal process or condition which tends to raise
arterial pH if there are inadequate secondary changes.
,Allodynia - CORRECT ANSWER - Pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke
pain. Stimulation of A beta fibres causes pain.
Alveolar Dead Space - CORRECT ANSWER - Part of inspired gas which passes through the
anatomical dead space and enters the alveoli but is not effective in gas exchange given impaired
perfusion.
Alveolar Ventilation - CORRECT ANSWER - "Effective ventilation of the alveoli, where gas
exchange with the blood takes place."
Ampere - CORRECT ANSWER - One Coulomb per second
Amplitude Linearity - CORRECT ANSWER - Amplifications of the signal should be equal
throughout the entire signal range to prevent distortion.
Anabolism - CORRECT ANSWER - Synthesis of cellular macromolecules
Anaesthesia - CORRECT ANSWER - Without sensation.
Analgesia - CORRECT ANSWER - Absence of pain in response to stimulation which would
normally be painful.
Analog Signal - CORRECT ANSWER - "A <b>continuous</b> signal for which the time
varying feature (variable) of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity,
i.e., analogous to another time varying signal."
Anaphylactoid Reaction - CORRECT ANSWER - "Clinically indistinguishable from
anaphylaxis but caused by complement activation or direct histamine release from mast cells.
*c.f. Anaphylaxis is a clinical syndrome produced by IgE type I hypersensitivity resulting from
antigen-antibody reaction at surface of mast cells. The syndrome manifests as red rash/flush,
bronchospasm, collapse, angioedema, GIT symptoms. Requires prior exposure to antigen."
, Anaphylatoxins - CORRECT ANSWER - C3a and C5a which bind specific receptors on mast
cells and basophils causing degranulation.
Anaphylaxis - CORRECT ANSWER - "A clinical syndrome produced by IgE type I
hypersensitivity resulting from antigen-antibody reaction at surface of mast cells. The syndrome
manifests as red rash/flush, bronchospasm, collapse, angioedema, GIT symptoms. Requires prior
exposure to antigen."
Anatomical Dead Space - CORRECT ANSWER - The internal volume of the conducting
airways or that part of the inspired TV which is expired unchanged.
Anion - CORRECT ANSWER - Negatively charged ion.
Anion Gap - CORRECT ANSWER - "An estimate of unmeasured cations (Ca2+ and Mg2+)
and unmeasured anions (plasma proteins, phosphate, sulphate, lactate, citrate, ketones) Some
causes of metabolic acidosis release anions into the ECF therefore creating an increased anion
gap."
Anode - CORRECT ANSWER - Positive electrode to which anion is attracted.
Anrep Effect - CORRECT ANSWER - Intrinsic regulatory mechanism of the heart whereby
an abrupt increase in afterload produces transient increase in LVEPD and decrease in SV
allowing prompt restoration to near baseline values.
Antagonist - CORRECT ANSWER - "A substance that interacts with receptor or other parts
of effector mechanism to inhibit the action of an agonist, while initiating no effect themselves."
ATPS - CORRECT ANSWER - "Ambient temperature and pressure, saturated with water
vapour (T amb, Pb, PH2O)"
