CALE Comprehensive Question Bank-
Solved (verified)
A 23-year-old female patient who is phlegmatic complains of amenorrhea for the past
two months, as well as severe pain and pressure in her lower abdomen for the last two
days. She also complains of nausea, dizziness, and disinterest in food although she
drinks a lot of soda. She states that she cannot get enough sleep, that she has been
particularly stressed at work, and that recent, constant fights with her boyfriend are
wearing her down. She has a dull, pale complexion and a slow demeanor. Her tongue is
pale with red around the sides, and her pulse is Rolling and String-taut. The patient has
a history of irregular menstrual periods. What diagnosis should be considered, and how
should the patient be treated?
A. Ectopic pregnancy; refer to a medical physician
B. Depression; treat with needles and herbs
C. Adrenal insufficiency; refer to a medical physician
D. Amenorrhea; treat with needles and herbs - ANSWER-A
A 27 year old male patient comes to your clinic with sciatic pain. Which dermatome
would be the most likely with this condition?
A. L4-L5
B. S1-S2
C. L5-S1
D. L3-L4 - ANSWER-C
A 33-year-old woman had been suffering from breathlessness for the previous two
years. She found it difficult to breathe out and her attacks were elicited by emotional
stress. She also felt easily thirsty and experienced a bitter taste in her mouth
occasionally. She had frequent headaches on the temples of a throbbing nature and
she felt generally wound-up and frustrated. She also felt easily hot and occasionally had
palpitations. Her pulse was Wiry and her tongue was Red with redder sides and tip.
There is a shallow midline Heart-crack. The sides also had red points. What is the
cause of the breathlessness?
A. Heart Fire
B. Liver Fire
C. Liver Qi Stagnation
D. Liver Yang Rising - ANSWER-B
A 35-year-old male patient reports that he has had a persistent cold and has been
treating himself for the past two months with Yin Qiao San (Honeysuckle and Forsythia
Powder) that he bought in a store. His fever, body aches, and sore throat are gone. His
main complaint now is that he still has a dry hacking cough that keeps him up at night.
He is also restless and constipated. Which of the following tongue and pulse
characteristics should be seen in this patient?
A. Light red tongue with a thick yellow coat; Rapid, Rolling pulse
,B. Light red tongue with a thin yellow coat; Rapid, Superficial pulse
C. Red tongue with a geographic coat; Rapid, Thready pulse
D. Red cracked tongue; Rapid, Excess pulse - ANSWER-C
A 36-year-old male patient has a history of drug use. He is currently in severe pain and
wonders if you would recommend him the use of Marijuana. What happens to a
practitioner who prescribes Marijuana in the state of California?
A. License is revoked
B. License is suspended
C. Licensed is revoked and the practitioner is imprisoned
D. Nothing, Marijuana is an herb and it is within the scope of our practice to prescribe
Marijuana - ANSWER-D
A 37-year-old woman is suffering from severe migraine around the temple area of the
head since the birth of her first child. She often has vomiting attacks with the migraines.
Sometimes the pain is so severe that it causes abdominal pain with diarrhea. She has
Superficial (Fu Mai)-Weak (Ruo Mai) pulse that is Thready (Xi Mai) and Rapid (Shu Mai)
on the right guan position and Deep (Chen Mai) and Weak (Ruo Mai) on both chi
positions. Her tongue is slightly red on the center; it looks swollen and without a coat in
the center. What is the differential diagnosis for this case?
A. Spleen Yang Deficiency with Liver Qi Stagnation
B. Stomach Yin Deficiency with Kidney Yang Deficiency
C. Stomach Yin Deficiency with Kidney Yin Deficiency
D. Spleen Qi Deficiency with Lung Phlegm Accumulation - ANSWER-B
A 39-year-old patient had a car accident two weeks ago and has pain on both shoulders
and arms. The patient also has palpitation and fixed pain in the chest. Which formula is
good for treatment in this case?
A. Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan (Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill)
B. Wen Jing Tang (Flow-Warming Decoction)
C. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (Drive Out Stasis from the Mansion of Blood Decoction)
D. Tao He Cheng Qi Tang (Peach Pit Decoction to Order the Qi) - ANSWER-C
A 41-year-old man had contracted an upper respiratory infection while holidaying in the
Rocky Mountains in the summertime. At the time, this manifested with symptoms of
Wind-Heat and Dryness such as aversion to cold, a slight temperature, a dry cough, a
dry and itchy sensation of the throat and a headache. He came in for treatment on his
return from his holiday when he still had a dry persistent and ticklish cough which was
keeping him awake at night. What is the diagnosis?
A. Wind Heat
B. Lung Yin Deficiency
C. Wind Heat Dryness
D. Lung Dryness - ANSWER-D
A 48-year-old male patient came to clinic complaining of irritability, palpitation, insomnia,
night sweat, poor memory and 5 Center Heat. The patient's tongue is red with a scanty
,coat. The patient has been suffering from chronic liver, heart and lung disease for a long
time. He developed a terrible sex addiction in his mid 20s. He still goes through periods
of excess sexual activity even though he knows it's not good for his condition. He takes
Viagra during these times even though it leaves him exhausted. He feels restless if he
doesn't and can't control himself. Which formula is most appropriate for this patient?
A. Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia)
B. Gan Mai Da Zao Tang (Licorice, Wheat, and Jujube Decoction)
C. Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan (Emperor of Heaven's Special Pill to Tonify the Heart)
D. Suan Zao Ren Tang (Sour Jujube Decoction) - ANSWER-A
A 52-year-old woman sought treatment for persistent night sweating and hot flashes.
She also complained of abdominal distention and water retention. Her periods had
stopped the year before and she had been worse since then. Apart from the above
symptoms, she often felt anxious in the evening and experienced palpitations. Her sleep
was disturbed by the hot flashes and she felt mentally restless. She was overweight, her
cheek-bones were slightly red and her eyes had no glitter and looked scared. Her
tongue was slightly red, swollen on the sides (Spleen-type of swelling), cracked and
with a rootless coating. It also had a Heart crack in the middle. Her pulse was Weak on
both Rear positions, the Heart position was Weak and Short and the whole pulse had
no wave. She had been treated with acupuncture elsewhere (tonifying Spleen and
resolving Dampness) without much result. Her acupuncturist referred her to me. Which
of the - ANSWER-C
A 57-year-old female patient visited the clinic with low back pain. Her lumbar vertebra
was bent more than normal. She most likely has:
A. Spondylitis
B. Bulging disc
C. Scoliosis
D. Lordosis - ANSWER-C
A 57-year-old patient has rheumatoid arthritis. All of the following drugs may be used
EXCEPT:
A. Antibiotics
B. Corticosteroids
C. Bronchodilators
D. NSAIDs - ANSWER-A
A 58-year-old man had been suffering from asthma for 6 years. At the time of the
consultation, the asthma was very severe with frequent attacks every day. He was using
a Ventolin inhaler, Becoforte (cortico-steroid) spray and corticosteroids orally. His chest
felt extremely tight and he could not lie down. He was prone to chest infections,
developing expectoration of yellow sputum. He also experienced epigastric fullness and
distention. His tongue was slightly Red with swollen edges (of the Spleen-type) and a
sticky coating. His pulse was Rapid, Full and Slippery. What is the differential diagnosis
for this case?
A. Spleen Def
, B. Phlegm Heat
C. Phlegm Heat in the Lungs
D. Phlegm Heat from Spleen Deficiency - ANSWER-C
A 61-year-old woman had been suffering from persistent constipation for many years.
She had only about two bowel movements a week but her stools were not dry. She
often felt exhausted after the bowel movement. Her other symptoms included great
weariness and exhaustion, feeling cold, a lack of will-power and initiative, backache,
dizziness and tinnitus. Her tongue was Pale and Swollen and her pulse was Deep and
Weak. What is the best diagnosis for this case?
A. Kidney Yin Def
B. Kidney Qi not Firm
C. Kidney Essence Def
D. Kidney Yang Def - ANSWER-D
A 63-year-old male patient comes in complaining of epigastric pain which lessens with
meals and then appears again 2-3 hours later. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of
the night with pain. He tells you he has experienced about 30lbs of weight gain in the
last year. What is a possible diagnosis for this case?
A. Duodenal ulcer
B. Diabetes
C. Gastric ulcer
D. Abdominal aortic aneurysm - ANSWER-C
A current patient misunderstands the large areas of bruising after a cupping treatment.
You explained the treatment to him and he consented to the treatment verbally. You do
not have a written consent form for the patient. The oral contract between you and the
patient holds up in court if you can prove which of the following?
A. That the patient didn't receive the proper explanation of risks involved
B. That the patient didn't understand the full risks
C. That the patient said he understood the risks even though he really didn't
D. That the patient understood the risks and agreed to the treatment - ANSWER-D
A family moved house after living there for more than 20 years. The couple's last child
left for college last year. The wife came to clinic with symptoms of weak voice, pale
complexion, tiredness. What is diagnosis?
A. HT Blood deficiency
B. LV Blood deficiency
C. SP Qi deficiency
D. LU Qi deficiency - ANSWER-D
A hyperthyroidism patient came to your clinic. What would you expect to see on the lab
report?
A. Increased T3
B. Decreased TSH
C. Increased TSH
Solved (verified)
A 23-year-old female patient who is phlegmatic complains of amenorrhea for the past
two months, as well as severe pain and pressure in her lower abdomen for the last two
days. She also complains of nausea, dizziness, and disinterest in food although she
drinks a lot of soda. She states that she cannot get enough sleep, that she has been
particularly stressed at work, and that recent, constant fights with her boyfriend are
wearing her down. She has a dull, pale complexion and a slow demeanor. Her tongue is
pale with red around the sides, and her pulse is Rolling and String-taut. The patient has
a history of irregular menstrual periods. What diagnosis should be considered, and how
should the patient be treated?
A. Ectopic pregnancy; refer to a medical physician
B. Depression; treat with needles and herbs
C. Adrenal insufficiency; refer to a medical physician
D. Amenorrhea; treat with needles and herbs - ANSWER-A
A 27 year old male patient comes to your clinic with sciatic pain. Which dermatome
would be the most likely with this condition?
A. L4-L5
B. S1-S2
C. L5-S1
D. L3-L4 - ANSWER-C
A 33-year-old woman had been suffering from breathlessness for the previous two
years. She found it difficult to breathe out and her attacks were elicited by emotional
stress. She also felt easily thirsty and experienced a bitter taste in her mouth
occasionally. She had frequent headaches on the temples of a throbbing nature and
she felt generally wound-up and frustrated. She also felt easily hot and occasionally had
palpitations. Her pulse was Wiry and her tongue was Red with redder sides and tip.
There is a shallow midline Heart-crack. The sides also had red points. What is the
cause of the breathlessness?
A. Heart Fire
B. Liver Fire
C. Liver Qi Stagnation
D. Liver Yang Rising - ANSWER-B
A 35-year-old male patient reports that he has had a persistent cold and has been
treating himself for the past two months with Yin Qiao San (Honeysuckle and Forsythia
Powder) that he bought in a store. His fever, body aches, and sore throat are gone. His
main complaint now is that he still has a dry hacking cough that keeps him up at night.
He is also restless and constipated. Which of the following tongue and pulse
characteristics should be seen in this patient?
A. Light red tongue with a thick yellow coat; Rapid, Rolling pulse
,B. Light red tongue with a thin yellow coat; Rapid, Superficial pulse
C. Red tongue with a geographic coat; Rapid, Thready pulse
D. Red cracked tongue; Rapid, Excess pulse - ANSWER-C
A 36-year-old male patient has a history of drug use. He is currently in severe pain and
wonders if you would recommend him the use of Marijuana. What happens to a
practitioner who prescribes Marijuana in the state of California?
A. License is revoked
B. License is suspended
C. Licensed is revoked and the practitioner is imprisoned
D. Nothing, Marijuana is an herb and it is within the scope of our practice to prescribe
Marijuana - ANSWER-D
A 37-year-old woman is suffering from severe migraine around the temple area of the
head since the birth of her first child. She often has vomiting attacks with the migraines.
Sometimes the pain is so severe that it causes abdominal pain with diarrhea. She has
Superficial (Fu Mai)-Weak (Ruo Mai) pulse that is Thready (Xi Mai) and Rapid (Shu Mai)
on the right guan position and Deep (Chen Mai) and Weak (Ruo Mai) on both chi
positions. Her tongue is slightly red on the center; it looks swollen and without a coat in
the center. What is the differential diagnosis for this case?
A. Spleen Yang Deficiency with Liver Qi Stagnation
B. Stomach Yin Deficiency with Kidney Yang Deficiency
C. Stomach Yin Deficiency with Kidney Yin Deficiency
D. Spleen Qi Deficiency with Lung Phlegm Accumulation - ANSWER-B
A 39-year-old patient had a car accident two weeks ago and has pain on both shoulders
and arms. The patient also has palpitation and fixed pain in the chest. Which formula is
good for treatment in this case?
A. Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan (Cinnamon Twig and Poria Pill)
B. Wen Jing Tang (Flow-Warming Decoction)
C. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (Drive Out Stasis from the Mansion of Blood Decoction)
D. Tao He Cheng Qi Tang (Peach Pit Decoction to Order the Qi) - ANSWER-C
A 41-year-old man had contracted an upper respiratory infection while holidaying in the
Rocky Mountains in the summertime. At the time, this manifested with symptoms of
Wind-Heat and Dryness such as aversion to cold, a slight temperature, a dry cough, a
dry and itchy sensation of the throat and a headache. He came in for treatment on his
return from his holiday when he still had a dry persistent and ticklish cough which was
keeping him awake at night. What is the diagnosis?
A. Wind Heat
B. Lung Yin Deficiency
C. Wind Heat Dryness
D. Lung Dryness - ANSWER-D
A 48-year-old male patient came to clinic complaining of irritability, palpitation, insomnia,
night sweat, poor memory and 5 Center Heat. The patient's tongue is red with a scanty
,coat. The patient has been suffering from chronic liver, heart and lung disease for a long
time. He developed a terrible sex addiction in his mid 20s. He still goes through periods
of excess sexual activity even though he knows it's not good for his condition. He takes
Viagra during these times even though it leaves him exhausted. He feels restless if he
doesn't and can't control himself. Which formula is most appropriate for this patient?
A. Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia)
B. Gan Mai Da Zao Tang (Licorice, Wheat, and Jujube Decoction)
C. Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan (Emperor of Heaven's Special Pill to Tonify the Heart)
D. Suan Zao Ren Tang (Sour Jujube Decoction) - ANSWER-A
A 52-year-old woman sought treatment for persistent night sweating and hot flashes.
She also complained of abdominal distention and water retention. Her periods had
stopped the year before and she had been worse since then. Apart from the above
symptoms, she often felt anxious in the evening and experienced palpitations. Her sleep
was disturbed by the hot flashes and she felt mentally restless. She was overweight, her
cheek-bones were slightly red and her eyes had no glitter and looked scared. Her
tongue was slightly red, swollen on the sides (Spleen-type of swelling), cracked and
with a rootless coating. It also had a Heart crack in the middle. Her pulse was Weak on
both Rear positions, the Heart position was Weak and Short and the whole pulse had
no wave. She had been treated with acupuncture elsewhere (tonifying Spleen and
resolving Dampness) without much result. Her acupuncturist referred her to me. Which
of the - ANSWER-C
A 57-year-old female patient visited the clinic with low back pain. Her lumbar vertebra
was bent more than normal. She most likely has:
A. Spondylitis
B. Bulging disc
C. Scoliosis
D. Lordosis - ANSWER-C
A 57-year-old patient has rheumatoid arthritis. All of the following drugs may be used
EXCEPT:
A. Antibiotics
B. Corticosteroids
C. Bronchodilators
D. NSAIDs - ANSWER-A
A 58-year-old man had been suffering from asthma for 6 years. At the time of the
consultation, the asthma was very severe with frequent attacks every day. He was using
a Ventolin inhaler, Becoforte (cortico-steroid) spray and corticosteroids orally. His chest
felt extremely tight and he could not lie down. He was prone to chest infections,
developing expectoration of yellow sputum. He also experienced epigastric fullness and
distention. His tongue was slightly Red with swollen edges (of the Spleen-type) and a
sticky coating. His pulse was Rapid, Full and Slippery. What is the differential diagnosis
for this case?
A. Spleen Def
, B. Phlegm Heat
C. Phlegm Heat in the Lungs
D. Phlegm Heat from Spleen Deficiency - ANSWER-C
A 61-year-old woman had been suffering from persistent constipation for many years.
She had only about two bowel movements a week but her stools were not dry. She
often felt exhausted after the bowel movement. Her other symptoms included great
weariness and exhaustion, feeling cold, a lack of will-power and initiative, backache,
dizziness and tinnitus. Her tongue was Pale and Swollen and her pulse was Deep and
Weak. What is the best diagnosis for this case?
A. Kidney Yin Def
B. Kidney Qi not Firm
C. Kidney Essence Def
D. Kidney Yang Def - ANSWER-D
A 63-year-old male patient comes in complaining of epigastric pain which lessens with
meals and then appears again 2-3 hours later. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of
the night with pain. He tells you he has experienced about 30lbs of weight gain in the
last year. What is a possible diagnosis for this case?
A. Duodenal ulcer
B. Diabetes
C. Gastric ulcer
D. Abdominal aortic aneurysm - ANSWER-C
A current patient misunderstands the large areas of bruising after a cupping treatment.
You explained the treatment to him and he consented to the treatment verbally. You do
not have a written consent form for the patient. The oral contract between you and the
patient holds up in court if you can prove which of the following?
A. That the patient didn't receive the proper explanation of risks involved
B. That the patient didn't understand the full risks
C. That the patient said he understood the risks even though he really didn't
D. That the patient understood the risks and agreed to the treatment - ANSWER-D
A family moved house after living there for more than 20 years. The couple's last child
left for college last year. The wife came to clinic with symptoms of weak voice, pale
complexion, tiredness. What is diagnosis?
A. HT Blood deficiency
B. LV Blood deficiency
C. SP Qi deficiency
D. LU Qi deficiency - ANSWER-D
A hyperthyroidism patient came to your clinic. What would you expect to see on the lab
report?
A. Increased T3
B. Decreased TSH
C. Increased TSH
