PAEA Emergency Medicine EOR Topics Questions and
Correct Answers Graded A+|Latest 2025/2026
what compensations does the body make when heart failure (can be due to
something that causes either inc pre/afterload or dec contractility) begins? -
CORRECT ANSWER-1. sympathetic nervous system activation
2. myocyte hypertrophy/remodeling
3. RAAS activation: fluid overload
,the following are signs/sx's of what sided heart failure?
inc pulmonary venous pressure, dyspnea, orthopnea, rales/rhonchi, chronic non-
productive cough with pink frothy sputum, HTN, Cheyne-Stokes breathing, S3 or
S4, pale skin/cool extremities, sinus tachy, fatigue - CORRECT ANSWER-L-sided
HF
what is the most common cause of heart failure? specifically left sided? right
sided? - CORRECT ANSWER--MC is CAD (coronary artery disease)
-L sided: *CAD* & HTN
-R sided: *L sided HF* & pulmonary dz
decreased ejection fraction, thin ventricular walls, dilated LV chamber, and an S3
gallop (filling of dilated ventricle) is associated with systolic or diastolic heart
failure? - CORRECT ANSWER-systolic (MC form of CHF)
*(the sound is actually heard in the diastole though)
-memory trick: "sys-to-lic" 3 consonants = S3
,normal ejection fraction, thick ventricular walls, narrowed LV chamber, and an S4
gallop (atrial contraction into a stiff ventricle) is associated with systolic or
diastolic heart failure? - CORRECT ANSWER-diastolic
-memory trick: "di-a-sto-lic" 4 consonants = S4
what are the causes of systolic vs diastolic heart failure? - CORRECT ANSWER--
systolic: post *MI*, *dilated cardiomyopathy*, myocarditis
-diastolic: *HTN*, *LVH*, *elderly*, valvular heart dz, hypertrophic or restrictive
cardiomyopathy, constrictive pericarditis
when the metabolic demands of the body exceed normal cardiac function (d/t
thyrotoxicosis, wet beriberi, severe anemia, AV shunting, Paget's disease of the
bone) this is termed ________ heart failure - CORRECT ANSWER-high-output
*fairly uncommon
-low-output HF is just d/t problem w/ myocardial contraction, ischemia, or
chronic HTN
what are some causes of acute vs chronic heart failure? - CORRECT ANSWER--
acute: *largely systolic*; hypertensive crisis, acute MI, papillary muscle rupture
, -chronic: dilated cardiomyopathy (systolic), valvular dz (diastolic)
explain class I-IV New York Heart Association functional classes - CORRECT
ANSWER--class I: *no sx's*, *no limitation* during ordinary physical activity
-class II: *mild sx's* (dyspnea or angina), *slight limitation* during ordinary
activity
-class III: *comfortable only at rest* (sx's caused maked limitation in activity even
with minimal exertion
-class IV: *sx's even while at rest*, severe limitations, inability to carry out
physical activity
the following are signs/sx's of what sided heart failure?
inc systemic venous pressure, peripheral edema, JVD, anorexia, N/V,
hepatosplenomegaly, RUQ tenderness, hepatojugular reflex (inc JVP with liver
palpation) - CORRECT ANSWER-R-sided HF
-CXR showing Kerley B lines (alternate flow tracts), cardiomegaly, pleural effusion,
pulmonary edema
-echo with dec EF
-inc BNP on labs
Correct Answers Graded A+|Latest 2025/2026
what compensations does the body make when heart failure (can be due to
something that causes either inc pre/afterload or dec contractility) begins? -
CORRECT ANSWER-1. sympathetic nervous system activation
2. myocyte hypertrophy/remodeling
3. RAAS activation: fluid overload
,the following are signs/sx's of what sided heart failure?
inc pulmonary venous pressure, dyspnea, orthopnea, rales/rhonchi, chronic non-
productive cough with pink frothy sputum, HTN, Cheyne-Stokes breathing, S3 or
S4, pale skin/cool extremities, sinus tachy, fatigue - CORRECT ANSWER-L-sided
HF
what is the most common cause of heart failure? specifically left sided? right
sided? - CORRECT ANSWER--MC is CAD (coronary artery disease)
-L sided: *CAD* & HTN
-R sided: *L sided HF* & pulmonary dz
decreased ejection fraction, thin ventricular walls, dilated LV chamber, and an S3
gallop (filling of dilated ventricle) is associated with systolic or diastolic heart
failure? - CORRECT ANSWER-systolic (MC form of CHF)
*(the sound is actually heard in the diastole though)
-memory trick: "sys-to-lic" 3 consonants = S3
,normal ejection fraction, thick ventricular walls, narrowed LV chamber, and an S4
gallop (atrial contraction into a stiff ventricle) is associated with systolic or
diastolic heart failure? - CORRECT ANSWER-diastolic
-memory trick: "di-a-sto-lic" 4 consonants = S4
what are the causes of systolic vs diastolic heart failure? - CORRECT ANSWER--
systolic: post *MI*, *dilated cardiomyopathy*, myocarditis
-diastolic: *HTN*, *LVH*, *elderly*, valvular heart dz, hypertrophic or restrictive
cardiomyopathy, constrictive pericarditis
when the metabolic demands of the body exceed normal cardiac function (d/t
thyrotoxicosis, wet beriberi, severe anemia, AV shunting, Paget's disease of the
bone) this is termed ________ heart failure - CORRECT ANSWER-high-output
*fairly uncommon
-low-output HF is just d/t problem w/ myocardial contraction, ischemia, or
chronic HTN
what are some causes of acute vs chronic heart failure? - CORRECT ANSWER--
acute: *largely systolic*; hypertensive crisis, acute MI, papillary muscle rupture
, -chronic: dilated cardiomyopathy (systolic), valvular dz (diastolic)
explain class I-IV New York Heart Association functional classes - CORRECT
ANSWER--class I: *no sx's*, *no limitation* during ordinary physical activity
-class II: *mild sx's* (dyspnea or angina), *slight limitation* during ordinary
activity
-class III: *comfortable only at rest* (sx's caused maked limitation in activity even
with minimal exertion
-class IV: *sx's even while at rest*, severe limitations, inability to carry out
physical activity
the following are signs/sx's of what sided heart failure?
inc systemic venous pressure, peripheral edema, JVD, anorexia, N/V,
hepatosplenomegaly, RUQ tenderness, hepatojugular reflex (inc JVP with liver
palpation) - CORRECT ANSWER-R-sided HF
-CXR showing Kerley B lines (alternate flow tracts), cardiomegaly, pleural effusion,
pulmonary edema
-echo with dec EF
-inc BNP on labs
