ABSITE LATEST 2026 TEST EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔A 25-year-old man sustains a superficial gunshot wound to his left outer thigh. His
initial neurological exam in the emergency department reveals no motor deficits but
numbness in the region of the left lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh. When should
surgery for repair of the suspected nerve injury be performed?
A. Immediately
B. 1 to 2 weeks
C. 2 to 3 months
D. 6 months to 1 year
E. Never - ✔✔C. 2 to 3 months
✔✔A 40-year-old, former Australian lifeguard man with a history of melanoma presents
to the emergency department with a month-long history of abdominal pain, nausea, and
vomiting. What is the most likely cause for his symptoms?
A. Intussusception of the small bowel
B. gastroenteritis
C. Colonic obstruction
D. Diverticulitis
E. Duodenal adenocarcinoma - ✔✔A. Intussusception of the small bowel
✔✔Which of the following characteristics is an advantage of full-thickness skin grafts
over split-thickness skin grafts?
A. Superior skin pigment match
B. Better resistance to infection
C. Larger ana of coverage
D. Less blood supply required
E. Lower Incidence of contractures - ✔✔E. Lower Incidence of contractures
✔✔A 56-year-old man is ventilator dependent because of an open abdomen secondary
to trauma. On the third day following his injury, he develops hypoxemia and tachypnea,
requiring an increase of the fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) and positive end-
expiratory pressure. His partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) increases
minimally with these changes. Plain chest radiograph shows bilateral infiltrates and the
pulmonary artery occlusion pressure is 16 mm Hg. Which combination of features
supports a diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) over ventilator
associated pneumonia?
A. Pulmonary artery occlusion pressure >18 mm Hg
B. Temperature 38.7°C, WBC count of 14, pleural effusions, increased proteinaceous
exudate on bronehoalveolar lavage (BAL)
C. Temperature 38.5°C, WBC count of 16, no effusions, increased protein on BAL
(g) Temperature 38.3°C, WBC count of 12, minimal pleural effusion, Incr - ✔✔C.
Temperature 38.5°C, WBC count of 16, no effusions, increased protein on BAL
,✔✔A 28 year old professional violinist woman presents with headaches, neck pain, and
hand clumsiness In her right hand. She also reports occasional numbness in the hand
and right-side chest pain. Which of the following is the likely cause of her symptoms?
A. Carpal tunnel syndrome
B. Coronary artery disease
C. Thoracic outlet syndrome
D. Paget-Schroetter syndrome - ✔✔C. Thoracic outlet syndrome
✔✔A 72-year-old man with a history of diabetes and smok¬ing presents with a 2-day
history of excruciating pain in the right lower extremity. The patient states that the pain
started while he was sitting in a chair and that, unlike other pains he has had in the leg
before, it was not re¬lieved by elevation of the extremity. Physical exam shows a pale,
cool, pulseless, and numb right foot, and the calf is quite tender. No Doppler signal is
obtainable. The pa¬tient is taken to the operating room where on-table angiogram
reveals occlusion of the superficial femoral ar¬tery with no arterial flow below the knee
in the right leg, A right femoral below-knee popliteal bypass is performed with
restoration of the pulses. Postoperatively in the sur¬gical intensive care unit (ICU), the
resident notices severe swelling of the right lower extremity and loss of the dorsalis
pedis pulse. The most likely etiology of the edema is:
A. chr - ✔✔B. acute reperfusion Injury
✔✔A 22-week-pregnant, 31-year-old woman received 7 days of ampicillin for a urinary
tract infection. The patient developed diarrhea on day 5 of therapy, and stool was
positive for Clostridium difficile toxin. How would you treat the patient? A. Vancomycin
500 mg orally four times a day for 10 days B. Metronidazole 500 mg orally four times a
day for
10 days
C. Do nothing, as this is usually self-limiting
D. Clindamycin 300 mg orally four times a day for 10 days - ✔✔B. Metronidazole 500
mg orally four times a day for
10 days
✔✔You are performing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on a 64 yo woman with
cholelithiasis and vague abdominal pain. As you insert the camera through the
supraumbilical trochar, you are surprised to find a white cake like tumor spreading from
the left side of the pelvis across much of the large intestine. You should:
A. take a biopsy of the tumor, remove the gallbladder, and finish the case.
B. take a biopsy of the tumor, close, and await the
pathology report to plan open surgery
C. perform a left oophorectomy
D. perform a biopsy, convert to an open procedure,
and remove all involved organs
E. perform a biopsy, convert to an open procedure, and perform complete surgical
staging - ✔✔B. take a biopsy of the tumor, close, and await the
pathology report to plan open surgery
,✔✔A 2 year-old is brought to the emergency department by his mother. She reports that
he has been inconsolable for the past 24 hours and has refused his feeds. Upon further
questioning, you find that the child has vomited twice and has not had a bowel
movement. Examination reveals a slightly distended and diffusely tender abdomen,
especially in the Inguinal area. What should be your first step?
A. Ice pack to the affected area
B. Elevation of the child's lower extremities with a pillow C. Emergent exploratory
laparotomy
D. attempt manual reduction
E. Overnight inpatient observation - ✔✔B. Elevation of the child's lower extremities with
a pillow
✔✔An 82-year-old man with a history of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
presents with claudica¬tion and is found to have occlusive disease localized to the left
common iliac artery. Which of the following procedures is the most appropriate for
management of this patient's disease?
A. femoral to femoral artery bypass with venous autograft
B. Anticoagulation using IV heparin
C. Conservative treatment
D. Aortobifernoral artery bypass with synthetic graft
E. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty under local anesthesia - ✔✔E. Percutaneous
transluminal angioplasty under local anesthesia
✔✔A 47 yo woman undergoes core needle biopsy of a lesion found on routine
mammography in the lower outer quadrant of her right breast. Pathology is read as
atypical ductal hyperplasia of the breast. What is the most appropriate next step in this
patients's care? A. Follow-up mammography in 6 months B. Excisional biopsy with wire
localization C. Partial mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy D. Modified radical
mastectomy - ✔✔B. Excisional biopsy with wire localization
✔✔A 43 yo man presents to your clinic with the concern of intermittent blood spotting on
toilet paper for 2 weeks. Anoscopy reveals a 1cm split in the anoderm posteriorly on the
midline distal to the dentate line, lacking any hypertrophy or visible muscle fibers. What
is the optimal managment? A. Bisacodyl suppositories B. Lateral internal anal
sphincterotomy C. Observatoin only D. Initiate stool softeners - ✔✔D. Initiate stool
softeners
✔✔A 22-year-old man (65 kg) Is seen In the emergency department after a motorcycle
accident that resulted in significant head and maxillofacial trauma. Following Initial
evaluation and stabilization, he is admitted to the Intensive care unit and administered
Lactated Ringer's (LP.) solution running at 125 mL per hour. During the first 60 hours of
his stay, his urine output gradually de¬clines to 25 mL per hour and his serum sodium
drops from 136 to 127 mEq per liter. His vital signs remain stable. Urine osmolatity is
found to be 548 mOsm per liter. Which of the following is the next best intervention?
, A. Increase his fluids to maintain urine output >0.5 mL per kilogram per hour
B. add demeclocycline 600 mg twice a day
D. Stop his fluids entirely
C. Convert his IV fluid from LR to 3% normal saline solution - ✔✔C. Convert his IV fluid
from LR to 3% normal saline solution
✔✔A 45-year-old woman with a history of gallstones is admitted to the 1CU after
diagnosis with acute pan¬creatitis with hemodynamic instability. Her admission
laboratory values were remarkable for a number of ab¬normalities, including
hyponatremia, hyperamylasemia, hyperlipasemia and hyperlipidemia. What is die
etiology of hyponatremia in pancreatitis? A. Salt wasting B. Pseudohyponatremia C.
Hypoalbuminemia D. Renal failure - ✔✔B. Pseudohyponatremia
✔✔A previously healthy 57-year-old woman had increased shortness of breath and
chest pain while undergoing a root canal. After stopping the procedure, the patient's
symptoms resolved, and the oral surgeon resumed drilling. She began experiencing
right-side facial pain and peri¬orbital and neck swelling and subsequently com¬plained
of severe dyspnea. The patient lost conscious¬ness and her blood pressure was
undetectable. An emergent electrocardiogram showed nonspecific ST-T wave changes.
Her pulse oximeter revealed an oxygen saturation of 89% to 90% throughout the
procedure. Immediate action should be which of the following?
A. Administration of aspirin
B. Positioning of the patient in Trendelenburg and left lateral decubitus position
C. Initiation of IV antibiotics
D. IV heparin therapy and/or thrombolytic therapy, or both - ✔✔B. Positioning of the
patient in Trendelenburg and left lateral decubitus position
✔✔A 34-year-old Ukrainian immigrant man is seen in clinic for a right-side thyroid
nodule, which shows no uptake on technetium scan. In 1986 he was living near the
Chernobyl nuclear reactor during its meltdown. Given this history and probable etiology,
what is the most likely diagnosis of his thyroid nodule?
A. Anaplastic carcinoma
B. Hurthle cell carcinoma C. Follicular carcinoma
D. Medullary carcinoma
E. Papillary carcinoma - ✔✔E. Papillary carcinoma
✔✔A 54-year-old alcoholic man presents to the emergency department with severe
substernal and epigastric pain after vomiting while drinking alcohol earlier that evening.
Gastrografin esophagogram shows perforation of distal esophagus with drainage into
the mediastinum. What is the most appropriate treatment?
A. Nonoperative management with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and nasogastric
decompression
B. Emergent primary repair
C. Esophagectomy and delayed reconstruction with Interposition graft
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔A 25-year-old man sustains a superficial gunshot wound to his left outer thigh. His
initial neurological exam in the emergency department reveals no motor deficits but
numbness in the region of the left lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh. When should
surgery for repair of the suspected nerve injury be performed?
A. Immediately
B. 1 to 2 weeks
C. 2 to 3 months
D. 6 months to 1 year
E. Never - ✔✔C. 2 to 3 months
✔✔A 40-year-old, former Australian lifeguard man with a history of melanoma presents
to the emergency department with a month-long history of abdominal pain, nausea, and
vomiting. What is the most likely cause for his symptoms?
A. Intussusception of the small bowel
B. gastroenteritis
C. Colonic obstruction
D. Diverticulitis
E. Duodenal adenocarcinoma - ✔✔A. Intussusception of the small bowel
✔✔Which of the following characteristics is an advantage of full-thickness skin grafts
over split-thickness skin grafts?
A. Superior skin pigment match
B. Better resistance to infection
C. Larger ana of coverage
D. Less blood supply required
E. Lower Incidence of contractures - ✔✔E. Lower Incidence of contractures
✔✔A 56-year-old man is ventilator dependent because of an open abdomen secondary
to trauma. On the third day following his injury, he develops hypoxemia and tachypnea,
requiring an increase of the fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) and positive end-
expiratory pressure. His partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) increases
minimally with these changes. Plain chest radiograph shows bilateral infiltrates and the
pulmonary artery occlusion pressure is 16 mm Hg. Which combination of features
supports a diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) over ventilator
associated pneumonia?
A. Pulmonary artery occlusion pressure >18 mm Hg
B. Temperature 38.7°C, WBC count of 14, pleural effusions, increased proteinaceous
exudate on bronehoalveolar lavage (BAL)
C. Temperature 38.5°C, WBC count of 16, no effusions, increased protein on BAL
(g) Temperature 38.3°C, WBC count of 12, minimal pleural effusion, Incr - ✔✔C.
Temperature 38.5°C, WBC count of 16, no effusions, increased protein on BAL
,✔✔A 28 year old professional violinist woman presents with headaches, neck pain, and
hand clumsiness In her right hand. She also reports occasional numbness in the hand
and right-side chest pain. Which of the following is the likely cause of her symptoms?
A. Carpal tunnel syndrome
B. Coronary artery disease
C. Thoracic outlet syndrome
D. Paget-Schroetter syndrome - ✔✔C. Thoracic outlet syndrome
✔✔A 72-year-old man with a history of diabetes and smok¬ing presents with a 2-day
history of excruciating pain in the right lower extremity. The patient states that the pain
started while he was sitting in a chair and that, unlike other pains he has had in the leg
before, it was not re¬lieved by elevation of the extremity. Physical exam shows a pale,
cool, pulseless, and numb right foot, and the calf is quite tender. No Doppler signal is
obtainable. The pa¬tient is taken to the operating room where on-table angiogram
reveals occlusion of the superficial femoral ar¬tery with no arterial flow below the knee
in the right leg, A right femoral below-knee popliteal bypass is performed with
restoration of the pulses. Postoperatively in the sur¬gical intensive care unit (ICU), the
resident notices severe swelling of the right lower extremity and loss of the dorsalis
pedis pulse. The most likely etiology of the edema is:
A. chr - ✔✔B. acute reperfusion Injury
✔✔A 22-week-pregnant, 31-year-old woman received 7 days of ampicillin for a urinary
tract infection. The patient developed diarrhea on day 5 of therapy, and stool was
positive for Clostridium difficile toxin. How would you treat the patient? A. Vancomycin
500 mg orally four times a day for 10 days B. Metronidazole 500 mg orally four times a
day for
10 days
C. Do nothing, as this is usually self-limiting
D. Clindamycin 300 mg orally four times a day for 10 days - ✔✔B. Metronidazole 500
mg orally four times a day for
10 days
✔✔You are performing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on a 64 yo woman with
cholelithiasis and vague abdominal pain. As you insert the camera through the
supraumbilical trochar, you are surprised to find a white cake like tumor spreading from
the left side of the pelvis across much of the large intestine. You should:
A. take a biopsy of the tumor, remove the gallbladder, and finish the case.
B. take a biopsy of the tumor, close, and await the
pathology report to plan open surgery
C. perform a left oophorectomy
D. perform a biopsy, convert to an open procedure,
and remove all involved organs
E. perform a biopsy, convert to an open procedure, and perform complete surgical
staging - ✔✔B. take a biopsy of the tumor, close, and await the
pathology report to plan open surgery
,✔✔A 2 year-old is brought to the emergency department by his mother. She reports that
he has been inconsolable for the past 24 hours and has refused his feeds. Upon further
questioning, you find that the child has vomited twice and has not had a bowel
movement. Examination reveals a slightly distended and diffusely tender abdomen,
especially in the Inguinal area. What should be your first step?
A. Ice pack to the affected area
B. Elevation of the child's lower extremities with a pillow C. Emergent exploratory
laparotomy
D. attempt manual reduction
E. Overnight inpatient observation - ✔✔B. Elevation of the child's lower extremities with
a pillow
✔✔An 82-year-old man with a history of severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
presents with claudica¬tion and is found to have occlusive disease localized to the left
common iliac artery. Which of the following procedures is the most appropriate for
management of this patient's disease?
A. femoral to femoral artery bypass with venous autograft
B. Anticoagulation using IV heparin
C. Conservative treatment
D. Aortobifernoral artery bypass with synthetic graft
E. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty under local anesthesia - ✔✔E. Percutaneous
transluminal angioplasty under local anesthesia
✔✔A 47 yo woman undergoes core needle biopsy of a lesion found on routine
mammography in the lower outer quadrant of her right breast. Pathology is read as
atypical ductal hyperplasia of the breast. What is the most appropriate next step in this
patients's care? A. Follow-up mammography in 6 months B. Excisional biopsy with wire
localization C. Partial mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy D. Modified radical
mastectomy - ✔✔B. Excisional biopsy with wire localization
✔✔A 43 yo man presents to your clinic with the concern of intermittent blood spotting on
toilet paper for 2 weeks. Anoscopy reveals a 1cm split in the anoderm posteriorly on the
midline distal to the dentate line, lacking any hypertrophy or visible muscle fibers. What
is the optimal managment? A. Bisacodyl suppositories B. Lateral internal anal
sphincterotomy C. Observatoin only D. Initiate stool softeners - ✔✔D. Initiate stool
softeners
✔✔A 22-year-old man (65 kg) Is seen In the emergency department after a motorcycle
accident that resulted in significant head and maxillofacial trauma. Following Initial
evaluation and stabilization, he is admitted to the Intensive care unit and administered
Lactated Ringer's (LP.) solution running at 125 mL per hour. During the first 60 hours of
his stay, his urine output gradually de¬clines to 25 mL per hour and his serum sodium
drops from 136 to 127 mEq per liter. His vital signs remain stable. Urine osmolatity is
found to be 548 mOsm per liter. Which of the following is the next best intervention?
, A. Increase his fluids to maintain urine output >0.5 mL per kilogram per hour
B. add demeclocycline 600 mg twice a day
D. Stop his fluids entirely
C. Convert his IV fluid from LR to 3% normal saline solution - ✔✔C. Convert his IV fluid
from LR to 3% normal saline solution
✔✔A 45-year-old woman with a history of gallstones is admitted to the 1CU after
diagnosis with acute pan¬creatitis with hemodynamic instability. Her admission
laboratory values were remarkable for a number of ab¬normalities, including
hyponatremia, hyperamylasemia, hyperlipasemia and hyperlipidemia. What is die
etiology of hyponatremia in pancreatitis? A. Salt wasting B. Pseudohyponatremia C.
Hypoalbuminemia D. Renal failure - ✔✔B. Pseudohyponatremia
✔✔A previously healthy 57-year-old woman had increased shortness of breath and
chest pain while undergoing a root canal. After stopping the procedure, the patient's
symptoms resolved, and the oral surgeon resumed drilling. She began experiencing
right-side facial pain and peri¬orbital and neck swelling and subsequently com¬plained
of severe dyspnea. The patient lost conscious¬ness and her blood pressure was
undetectable. An emergent electrocardiogram showed nonspecific ST-T wave changes.
Her pulse oximeter revealed an oxygen saturation of 89% to 90% throughout the
procedure. Immediate action should be which of the following?
A. Administration of aspirin
B. Positioning of the patient in Trendelenburg and left lateral decubitus position
C. Initiation of IV antibiotics
D. IV heparin therapy and/or thrombolytic therapy, or both - ✔✔B. Positioning of the
patient in Trendelenburg and left lateral decubitus position
✔✔A 34-year-old Ukrainian immigrant man is seen in clinic for a right-side thyroid
nodule, which shows no uptake on technetium scan. In 1986 he was living near the
Chernobyl nuclear reactor during its meltdown. Given this history and probable etiology,
what is the most likely diagnosis of his thyroid nodule?
A. Anaplastic carcinoma
B. Hurthle cell carcinoma C. Follicular carcinoma
D. Medullary carcinoma
E. Papillary carcinoma - ✔✔E. Papillary carcinoma
✔✔A 54-year-old alcoholic man presents to the emergency department with severe
substernal and epigastric pain after vomiting while drinking alcohol earlier that evening.
Gastrografin esophagogram shows perforation of distal esophagus with drainage into
the mediastinum. What is the most appropriate treatment?
A. Nonoperative management with total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and nasogastric
decompression
B. Emergent primary repair
C. Esophagectomy and delayed reconstruction with Interposition graft
