KSA Asthma Exam 2026-2027 COMPLETE
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED SOLUTIONS LATEST
UPDATE THIS YEAR
QUESTION: An 18-year-old female presents to your office with a history of wheezing, coughing,
and year-round symptoms of rhinitis. She reports that her symptoms occur several times a
week but rarely more than once a day, except in the last year, when she has had to
intermittently use albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin) every day for a week at a time. She wakes up
with nighttime coughing weekly, with no fever or other symptoms, and tells you that the
coughing is severe enough to make her cat jump off the bed. Albuterol helps her symptoms
temporarily. She has been treated with oral corticosteroids on three occasions this past year,
most recently 6 weeks ago. Her Asthma Control Test score is 17. Pre- and postbronchodilator
spirometry results are shown below.
Initial testing
FVC............2.0 L (80% of predicted)
FEV1............1.4 L (70% of predicted)
FEF 25-75............1.5 L/sec (89% of predicted)
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15 minutes post bronchodilator - ANSWER-A. Budesonide/formoterol (Symbicort), with an
increase in dosage for exacerbations
QUESTION: A 22-year-old female presents to your office with an acute asthma attack that
developed 2 days after the onset of a viral upper respiratory infection. Her asthma is usually
well controlled, with a personal best peak expiratory flow (PEF) of 380 L/min. On initial
evaluation by the nurse she has a pulse rate of 120 beats/min, a respiratory rate of 32/min, and
an oxygen saturation of 92% on room air. On examination she is very dyspneic with diffuse
inspiratory and expiratory wheezing and she is using accessory muscles to breathe. Her PEF is
150 L/min. Inhaled β-agonists and systemic corticosteroids are administered and she is
reevaluated 1 hour later. Which one of the following would provide the most reassurance that
she is responding to therapy? - ANSWER-C. A PEF of 310 L/min
QUESTION: You are counseling a patient with moderate persistent asthma about the value of
following a written asthma action plan. To encourage her to use an asthma action plan you
share the results of studies that document their benefit in optimizing asthma control and
reducing future risk.
Which one of the following is an accurate statement regarding asthma action plans? - ANSWER-
D. The lack of a written asthma action plan is a risk factor for death from asthma
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QUESTION: A 28-year-old female presents with progressively worsening asthma after a recent
viral upper respiratory infection. When you enter the room, she appears in distress and is only
able to talk in words, not sentences. Her respiratory rate is 34/min and her heart rate is 126
beats/min. Her oxygen saturation before oxygen was administered was 89%. You begin
treatment with a nebulized short-acting β-agonist (SABA) plus ipratropium and give an initial
dose of oral prednisone. After one hour her symptoms are not responsive to initial treatment
efforts.
Which one of the following should you consider as a possible adjunctive treatment? - ANSWER-
C. Intravenous magnesium sulfate
QUESTION: Which one of the following is true regarding regular use of inhaled corticosteroids
(ICSs) in patients with persistent asthma? - ANSWER-A. Oral candidiasis is a potential side effect
of ICS use
QUESTION: You have recently opened a new practice in western North Carolina. In your first
week of seeing patients, a 17-year-old male reports that his asthma is usually worse in the early
spring.
Which one of the following is most likely triggering his symptoms at that time of year? -
ANSWER-A. Tree Pollen
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Q; A 26-year-old male with asthma is seen in the emergency department. He is short of breath
to a degree that makes it difficult to speak in sentences and he appears tired. On examination
you note diminished breath sounds with an occasional wheeze. His FEV1 is 15% of predicted
and his pCO2 is 45 mm Hg. He is given albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin) over the next hour but he
has a poor response. He is not able to repeat the spirometry and he now appears drowsy.
Which one of the following would be consistent with imminent respiratory failure? - ANSWER-
E. The absence of wheezes
QUESTION: Which one of the following is true regarding leukotriene modifiers for treatment of
asthma in adults? - ANSWER-D. They are less effective than inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs)
QUESTION: Chronic low- to medium-dose inhaled corticosteroid use in children is associated
with - ANSWER-E. no long-term adverse effects
QUESTION: A 14-year-old female presents with a recent history of cough and shortness of
breath with exercise. Baseline pulmonary function testing reveals an FEV1 of 3.1 L and a peak
expiratory flow of 600 L/min. Exercise testing is scheduled.