PLAB 1 (GMC, international medical graduates) · Surgery and perioperative care

Acute abdomen and vascular surgery

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

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

All 8 questions

  1. A 72-year-old man collapses with sudden severe back and abdominal pain. He is pale, with a pulsatile abdominal mass and blood pressure of 80/50 mmHg. What is the most appropriate management?
  2. A 24-year-old man has pain around the umbilicus that moved to the right iliac fossa over 12 hours, with anorexia, a temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius and rebound tenderness. Which is the most approp…
  3. A 60-year-old woman has right upper quadrant pain, fever and jaundice for two days. She is tachycardic with a temperature of 38.9 degrees Celsius. What is the most likely diagnosis and management?
  4. A 55-year-old man with atrial fibrillation and no anticoagulant has a cold, pulseless, painful left leg that began 3 hours ago. What is the immediate treatment?
  5. A 30-year-old man has sudden severe left scrotal pain with nausea and a high-riding testis. When should surgical exploration occur?
  6. A 68-year-old woman has colicky abdominal pain, vomiting, distension and has not opened her bowels or passed flatus for 3 days. She had a hysterectomy 20 years ago. What is the initial management?
  7. A 45-year-old woman with gallstones has had 6 hours of constant epigastric pain radiating to the back, vomiting and an amylase of 1800 U/L. Which initial treatment is appropriate?
  8. A 78-year-old man has left iliac fossa pain, fever and raised inflammatory markers. CT shows sigmoid diverticulitis with a 6 cm pelvic abscess. What is the appropriate management?

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