DHA Dubai · Medical Sciences & Healthcare

Diagnostic Pathology and Therapeutics

42 practice questions, each with the answer and an explanation.

Practise Diagnostic Pathology and Therapeutics now

Random questions from this topic, one at a time. You see the answer and the explanation straight after each one.

All 42 questions

  1. A 58-year-old male presents with sudden-onset substernal chest pressure radiating to the left jaw. The ECG demonstrates 2.5 mm ST-segment elevations in leads II, III, and aVF. Which coronary artery is…
  2. Which cardiac biomarker is the gold standard for diagnosing acute myocardial infarction due to its high sensitivity and myocardial specificity?
  3. A 32-year-old woman presents with fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, constipation, and periorbital puffiness. Laboratory testing reveals elevated TSH and low free T4. What is the most probable un…
  4. Which oral hypoglycemic agent from the biguanide class is first-line pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with preserved renal function?
  5. A 65-year-old patient with chronic kidney disease (eGFR ) presents with peaked T waves on 12-lead ECG. What life-threatening electrolyte disturbance is present?
  6. What is the emergency cardiac membrane-stabilizing agent administered immediately in severe hyperkalemia with ECG changes?
  7. What is the most common causative bacterial pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in immunocompetent adults?
  8. A patient on broad-spectrum clindamycin therapy develops severe profuse watery diarrhea, fever, and leukocytosis. Stool enzyme immunoassay is positive for toxins A and B. What is the diagnosis?
  9. Which diagnostic imaging modality is the first-line emergency study for acute neurological evaluation to differentiate ischemic stroke from acute intracerebral hemorrhage?
  10. A 24-year-old tall, slender male presents with sudden unilateral pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. Chest auscultation reveals absent breath sounds on the right. What is the most likely dia…
  11. Which microbiological parameter is assessed by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method?
  12. What is the primary pharmacological action of Omeprazole in gastrointestinal pharmacotherapy?
  13. A 68-year-old male with chronic kidney disease (weight 72 kg, serum creatinine 2.1 mg/dL) requires dose adjustment for an intravenous antibiotic. Using the Cockcroft-Gault equation, which value most a…
  14. A 54-year-old female presents with severe metabolic acidosis. Laboratory values reveal Na+ 140 mEq/L, K+ 4.0 mEq/L, Cl- 104 mEq/L, HCO3- 12 mEq/L, arterial pH 7.22, PaCO2 28 mmHg. What is the calculat…
  15. A 45-year-old female with advanced liver cirrhosis and severe malnutrition has total serum calcium of 7.2 mg/dL and serum albumin of 2.0 g/dL. What is her corrected serum calcium concentration?
  16. A 32-year-old male receiving chemotherapy presents with fever (38.9 C). His complete blood count shows total WBC 1,800/mcL, segmented neutrophils 18%, band neutrophils 4%, lymphocytes 68%, monocytes 1…
  17. A 58-year-old female with persistent atrial fibrillation on warfarin presents for routine monitoring. Her INR is 7.2 without any bleeding. According to CHEST guidelines, what is the most appropriate m…
  18. A 50-year-old male with acute pancreatitis has measured serum osmolality 315 mOsm/kg, Na+ 138 mEq/L, glucose 180 mg/dL, and BUN 28 mg/dL. What is his calculated serum osmolality and osmolar gap?
  19. A 62-year-old male presents with acute ST-segment elevation in leads V1-V4 that began 45 minutes ago. The nearest catheterization lab is 140 minutes away. He has no contraindications. What is the guid…
  20. A 26-year-old female presents to the triage desk with sudden palpitations. ECG reveals regular narrow-complex tachycardia at 190 bpm without P waves. Blood pressure is 118/76 mmHg. Vagal maneuvers fai…
  21. A 35-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presents with nausea, vomiting, and Kussmaul respiration. Blood glucose is 480 mg/dL, venous pH 7.15, HCO3- 9 mEq/L, and serum potassium 3.1 mEq/L. What is the…
  22. A 70-year-old female presents with acute severe headache, right hemiparesis, and aphasia starting 2 hours ago. Blood pressure is 210/125 mmHg. Head CT excludes hemorrhage. To qualify for intravenous t…
  23. A 24-year-old female presents with microcytic anemia. Her Mentzer index (MCV divided by RBC count) is 10.5. Serum ferritin is normal. What is the most likely diagnosis?
  24. A 55-year-old male with chronic alcoholism and paresthesias has a macrocytic anemia with MCV of 115 fL and hypersegmented neutrophils. What biochemical marker is elevated in B12 deficiency but normal…
  25. A 28-year-old female presents with mucosal petechiae and an isolated platelet count of 14000 per microliter with normal hemoglobin and WBC count. What is the first-line therapy for acute immune thromb…
  26. A 36-year-old female presents with fever, thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with schistocytes, and fluctuating confusion. Normal PT and PTT are noted. What is the urgent treatment of…
  27. A critically ill septic patient develops bleeding from venipuncture sites. Coagulation profile shows prolonged PT, prolonged PTT, thrombocytopenia, low fibrinogen, and elevated D-dimer. What is the di…
  28. A cancer patient receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy presents with fever of 38.6 C and an absolute neutrophil count of 350 cells per microliter. What is the immediate empiric antibiotic requirement?
  29. A 72-year-old male taking warfarin presents with an acute subdural hematoma and an INR of 4.8. What is the most rapid reversal therapy?
  30. Which novel oral anticoagulant agent directly inhibits thrombin (Factor IIa) rather than activated Factor Xa?
  31. In evaluating suspected multiple myeloma, which clinical feature is NOT part of the classic CRAB diagnostic criteria?
  32. A patient with Burkitt lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy develops hyperuricemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, and hypocalcemia. What recombinant urate oxidase enzyme is indicated?
  33. A 44-year-old female presents with symmetric pain and swelling of the PIP and MCP joints with morning stiffness lasting 90 minutes. Which antibody is most specific for this condition?
  34. Which autoantibody in systemic lupus erythematosus correlates closely with disease activity and the development of active lupus nephritis?
  35. A 52-year-old male presents with excruciating acute pain, erythema, and swelling of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Why should allopurinol NOT be initiated during this acute flare?
  36. A 72-year-old female presents with new unilateral temporal headache, scalp tenderness, and jaw claudication. ESR is 98 mm/hr. What is the immediate management while arranging biopsy?
  37. A 26-year-old male presents with chronic lower back pain that improves with exercise and worsens with rest, accompanied by morning stiffness. What genetic marker is positive in 90% of cases?
  38. Which autoantibody is specifically associated with the limited cutaneous form of systemic sclerosis (CREST syndrome) rather than diffuse systemic sclerosis?
  39. A 48-year-old female presents with persistent dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) and dry mouth (xerostomia). Which autoantibody pair is most characteristic of primary Sjögren syndrome?
  40. A 66-year-old female presents with severe morning stiffness and aching pain in the shoulder and pelvic girdles without muscle weakness. ESR is 75 mm/hr. What is the classic therapeutic response?
  41. A 45-year-old female presents with proximal muscle weakness, an erythematous heliotrope rash on the upper eyelids, and violaceous papules over the MCP and PIP joints. What is the diagnosis?
  42. A patient develops acute urticaria, wheezing, angioedema, and hypotension immediately after an intramuscular penicillin injection. What is the immediate first-line medication and route?

Keep practising

More DHA Dubai topics

All DHA Dubai practice →

Ready for the full DHA Dubai test?

Take a mock testDHA Dubai hub
Diagnostic Pathology and Therapeutics practice questions | GetMyMockTest