The following practice questions are similar to those asked on the American Board of Surgery Recertification Examination. You can use them in preparation for the examination, to fulfill learning requirements for various maintenance of competence programs, or simply to improve your surgical knowledge.
1. The correct initial bolus solution for resuscitation of a 5-year old multiple trauma victim is:
a) Blood at 30 ml/kg
b) Albumin at 30 ml/kg
c) Ringer's lactate at 25 ml/kg
d) Five percent dextrose in one-half normal saline
e) Normal saline at 10 ml/kg
2. In the workup on a patient for possible appendicitis, CT scanning should be performed:
a) Before consulting the surgeon, by the emergency physician
b) In patients with equivocal physical findings
c) Routinely, in all patients with right lower quadrant pain
d) With equal frequency in men and women
e) Never
3. The best operation for rectal prolapse is:
a) Ripstein procedure (placement of mesh around the mobilized rectum by
laparotomy)
b) Low anterior resection of the rectosigmoid with reanastomosis
c) Abdominoperineal resection
d) Perineal proctosigmoidectomy with anterior levatoroplasty
e) Thiersch wire placement (perineal encirclement of rectum with wire)
4. Which of the following statements about pancreas divisum is true ?
a) It is a common cause of pancreatitis.
b) The common bile duct empties into the minor papilla.
c) The abnormality occurs in 10% of people.
d) The dorsal pancreatic duct joins the ventral duct.
e) It increases the incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
5. Nonoperative management of splenic rupture is indicated if:
a) A multitrauma patient has normal vital signs and a hematocrit of 38%
b) The spleen of a patient with mononucleosis ruptures spontaneously
c) The CT scan reveals a grade IV hilar laceration with a blush
d) The patient is a hemophiliac
e) A 2-year-old child has a systolic blood pressure of 60 mm Hg
6. An adult suffers a flame burn of his head, neck, anterior and posterior trunk, entire right arm, and right anterior leg. The percentage of body surface burn is:
a) 85%
b) 65%
c) 55%
d) 35%
e) 75%
7. The best operation for intractable bile reflux gastritis after Billroth II gastrectomy is:
a) Conversion to Billroth I (gastroduodenostomy)
b) Total gastrectomy
c) Conversion to a Roux-en-Y anastomosis
d) Isoperistaltic jejunal loop between the gastric remnant and duodenum
e) Jejunojejunostomy between the afferent and efferent loops
8. In the immediate evaluation of the injured patient, the first thing to evaluate is:
a) Neurologic status
b) Blood pressure
c) Breathing
d) Pulse rate and strength
e) Airway
9. Select the answer that best completes the sentence: Carcinoid tumors …
a) occur most frequently in the jejunum.
b) rarely present with intestinal obstruction.
c) are commonly multiple (metachronous).
d) occur in association with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome, type II.
e) of the rectum rarely metastasize.
10. Select the answer that best completes the sentence: Inflammatory carcinoma of the breast …
a) occurs predominantly in women younger than 40 years.
b) is automatically stage IV.
c) can occur in the absence of involved axillary lymph nodes.
d) is uniformly fatal.
e) should be treated initially with chemotherapy.
11. Select the answer that best completes the sentence: Hyperthyroidism …
a) can occur as a result of molar pregnancy.
b) causes cold intolerance.
c) induces low-output cardiac failure.
d) is associated with elevated levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
e) occurs only in the presence of diffuse thyroid enlargement.
12. Which of the following statements about biliary dyskinesia is not true?
a) Gallbladder ultrasounds are normal
b) Cholecystokinin-induced gallbladder emptying is normal
c) Cholecystectomy cures the condition for 90% of patients
d) When removed, the gallbladder usually reveals chronic cholecystitis
e) Symptoms are indistinguishable from biliary colic secondary to calculi
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