Exam 100 Questions With Answers & Rationales 2025-2026
Updates
Q1. A 56-year-old male with a history of long-standing hypertension develops left ventricular hypertrophy.
Which mechanism best explains this finding?
A. Increased preload
B. Increased afterload
C. Decreased systemic vascular resistance
D. Reduced sympathetic nervous system activity
Answer: B
Rationale: Chronic hypertension raises afterload, making the LV work harder and causing hypertrophy.
Q2. A patient with COPD presents with elevated hematocrit. Which mechanism explains this?
A. Secondary polycythemia from hypoxemia
B. Suppressed erythropoietin
C. RBC destruction
D. Low iron intake
Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxemia stimulates erythropoietin release → more RBC production.
Q3. Which electrolyte imbalance is most likely in untreated diabetic ketoacidosis?
A. Hyperkalemia
B. Hypokalemia
C. Hypernatremia
D. Hypocalcemia
Answer: A
Rationale: Insulin deficiency shifts potassium extracellularly, causing hyperkalemia despite overall K+
depletion.
Q4. Which cytokine plays the primary role in fever?
A. IL-6
,B. TNF-α
C. IL-1
D. IL-10
Answer: C
Rationale: IL-1 acts on the hypothalamus to raise the set point → fever.
Q5. Ascites in cirrhosis develops primarily due to:
A. Hypoalbuminemia decreasing oncotic pressure
B. Increased renal sodium excretion
C. Hypercoagulability
D. Pulmonary HTN
Answer: A
Rationale: Less albumin reduces oncotic pull, allowing fluid to accumulate.
Q6. In asthma, airway obstruction is primarily due to:
A. Loss of elastic recoil
B. Alveolar destruction
C. Bronchial smooth muscle constriction + inflammation
D. Impaired surfactant
Answer: C
Rationale: Asthma is inflammatory + bronchospastic → reversible obstruction.
Q7. Atherosclerosis is initiated by:
A. Endothelial injury
B. Platelet aggregation
C. Foam cell rupture
D. Calcium deposition
Answer: A
Rationale: Endothelial injury allows LDL infiltration → plaque formation.
Q8. Which electrolyte imbalance increases risk for torsades de pointes?
, A. Hypokalemia
B. Hypercalcemia
C. Hypomagnesemia
D. Hypernatremia
Answer: C
Rationale: Low magnesium prolongs QT → torsades.
Q9. A patient develops peripheral edema in right-sided heart failure. Which mechanism explains this?
A. Increased hydrostatic pressure
B. Increased oncotic pressure
C. Reduced preload
D. Increased lymph drainage
Answer: A
Rationale: RV failure → venous congestion → increased hydrostatic pressure in capillaries.
Q10. What is the hallmark pathophysiologic finding in type 1 diabetes?
A. Insulin resistance
B. Beta-cell autoimmune destruction
C. Decreased hepatic glucose output
D. Increased GLP-1 secretion
Answer: B
Rationale: T1DM = autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells.
Q11. Which lab abnormality is expected in SIADH?
A. Hypernatremia
B. Hyponatremia
C. Hyperkalemia
D. Hypocalcemia
Answer: B
Rationale: SIADH = excess ADH → water retention → dilutional hyponatremia.