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  1. Deranged Physiology
  2. CICM Fellowship Exam
  3. Past papers
2010, Paper 2 SAQs
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 4
Question 5.1
Question 5.2
Question 5.3
Question 5.4
Question 5.5
Question 6.1
Question 6.2
Question 6.3
Question 7
Question 8.1
Question 8.2
Question 8.3
Question 9
Question 10
Question 11
Question 12.1
Question 12.2
Question 13
Question 14.1
Question 14.2
Question 14.3
Question 15
Question 16
Question 17.1
Question 17.2
Question 17.3
Question 18
Question 19
Question 20
Question 21
Question 22
Question 23
Question 24.1
Question 24.2
Question 24.3
Question 25.1
Question 25.2
Question 25.3
Question 25.4
Question 26
Question 27
Question 28
Question 29
Question 30
Short Answer Questions in Order of Appearance
Question 1

Management of hyponatremia and intracranial pressure with hypertonic saline

(Electrolytes and Fluids) - Pass rate 48%; highest mark 8.25 .

Question 2

Ventilation strategies for status asthmaticus

(Respiratory Medicine and Mechanical Ventilation) - Pass rate 85%; highest mark 8.75 .

Question 3.1

Polyuria following traumatic brain injury. What has caused it?

(Neurology and Neurosurgery) - Pass rate 90%; highest mark 9.25 .

Question 3.2

Prognosis in severe brain injury. What determines it?

(Neurology and Neurosurgery) - Pass rate 90%; highest mark 9.25 .

Question 4

Strategies to prolong the lifespan of the CRRT circuit

(Renal Failure and Dialysis) - Pass rate 71%; highest mark 8.5 .

Question 5.1

Clinical signs of portal hypertension. List them. 

(Gastroenterology and Hepatology) - Pass rate 94%; highest mark 8.7 .

Question 5.2

Methods of intracranial pressure monitoring: 4 clinical signs of raised ICP.

(Neurology and Neurosurgery) - Pass rate 94%; highest mark 8.7 .

Question 5.3

Cardiovascular physical examination:  causes of a "double peak" pulse .

(Cardiology) - Pass rate 94%; highest mark 8.7 .

Question 5.4

Cardiovascular physical examination:  clinical features of Tetralogy of Fallot.

(Cardiology) - Pass rate 94%; highest mark 8.7 .

Question 5.5

Causes of cyanosis which are not cardiovascular or respiratory.

(Miscellaneous Topics) - Pass rate 94%; highest mark 8.7 .

Question 6.1

Assessment of oxygenation from ABG data: a gas taken at high altitude.

(Respiratory Medicine and Mechanical Ventilation) - Pass rate 54%; highest mark 8.9 .

Question 6.2

Assessment of oxygenation from ABG data:  a left-shifted p50

(Respiratory Medicine and Mechanical Ventilation) - Pass rate 54%; highest mark 8.9 .

Question 6.3

Assessment of oxygenation from ABG data:  a pulmonary embolism.

(Respiratory Medicine and Mechanical Ventilation) - Pass rate 54%; highest mark 8.9 .

Question 7

Aerial transport of a critically ill patient.

(Miscellaneous Topics) - Pass rate 42%; highest mark 9.3 .

Question 8.1

Causes of pulseless electrical activity arrest.

(Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation) - Pass rate 79%; highest mark 10 .

Question 8.2

Troubleshooting the temporary pacemaker circuit

(Cardiothoracic Intensive Care) - Pass rate 79%; highest mark 10 .

Question 8.3

Assessment of valve dysfunction: grading the severity of aortic stenosis

(Cardiothoracic Intensive Care) - Pass rate 79%; highest mark 10 .

Question 9

Definitions Relative risk, absolute risk, NNT, and the power of a study.

(Statistics and Interpretation of Evidence) - Pass rate 54%; highest mark 9.5 .

Question 10

Differential diagnosis for a bilateral lung infiltrate after cardiac arrest

(Respiratory Medicine and Mechanical Ventilation) - Pass rate 92%; highest mark 9 .

Question 11

Applications of ECMO; also some literature supporting the use of ECMO.

(Cardiothoracic Intensive Care) - Pass rate 19%; highest mark 7.5 .

Question 12.1

Clinical testing for brain death: preconditions for clinical testing

(Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation) - Pass rate 35%; highest mark 8 .

Question 12.2

Radiological diagnosis of brain death.

(Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation) - Pass rate 35%; highest mark 8 .

Question 13

Evaluation of aortic dissection: TOE vs CT vs MRI vs aortogram.

(Cardiothoracic Intensive Care) - Pass rate 40%; highest mark 7.25 .

Question 14.1

Necrotising fasciitis: Fournier's gangrene. 2 important management steps.

(Infectious Disease Antibiotics and Sepsis) - Pass rate 79%; highest mark 8.1 .

Question 14.2

Differential diagnosis of purpura fulminans; possibly meningococcal sepsis.

(Infectious Disease Antibiotics and Sepsis) - Pass rate 79%; highest mark 8.1 .

Question 14.3

Base of skull fracture

(Trauma, Burns, Drowning) - Pass rate 79%; highest mark 8.1 .

Question 15

Troubleshooting the pacemaker circuit;  advantages of DDD pacing and benefits of CRT

(Cardiothoracic Intensive Care) - Pass rate 6%; highest mark 5.5 .

Question 16

Physiological changes in pregnancy. Also, cardiac failure in pregnancy

(Pregnancy, Obstetrics and Gynaecology) - Pass rate 98%; highest mark 9.5 .

Question 17.1

Choice of appropriate antibiotics for this list of organisms.

(Infectious Disease Antibiotics and Sepsis) - Pass rate 96%; highest mark 8.5 .

Question 17.2

"Name That Microbe": Historical features associated with specific pathogens

(Infectious Disease Antibiotics and Sepsis) - Pass rate 96%; highest mark 8.5 .

Question 17.3

Causes of antibiotic treatment failure

(Infectious Disease Antibiotics and Sepsis) - Pass rate 96%; highest mark 8.5 .

Question 18

Critical incident debrief.

(Communication and Ethics) - Pass rate 48%; highest mark 8 .

Question 19

Mixed HAGMA and metabolic alkalosis in HONK, and calculation of corrected sodium.

(Acid-Base Disorders) - Pass rate 83%; highest mark 8.75 .

Question 20

Assessment of nutritional status

(Endocrinology Metabolism and Nutrition) - Pass rate 52.1%; highest mark 7 .

Question 21

Cytomegalovirus infection in the immunocompetent patient.

(Infectious Disease Antibiotics and Sepsis) - Pass rate 8%; highest mark 6.5 .

Question 22

Phaeochromocytoma. Investigations, management, complications.

(Endocrinology Metabolism and Nutrition) - Pass rate 58%; highest mark 8.5 .

Question 23

Principles of HFOV; also Physiology of gas exchange in HFOV

(Respiratory Medicine and Mechanical Ventilation) - Pass rate 25%; highest mark 8 .

Question 24.1

ABO blood grouping: a transfusion reaction (mismatched transfusion)

(Haematology and Oncology) - Pass rate 48%; highest mark 9.5 .

Question 24.2

ABO blood grouping: which of these products require a crossmatch?

(Haematology and Oncology) - Pass rate 48%; highest mark 9.5 .

Question 24.3

"What's Wrong With This Blood Film?" - Heinz bodies

(Haematology and Oncology) - Pass rate 48%; highest mark 9.5 .

Question 25.1

Clinical features and management of hypocalcemia

(Electrolytes and Fluids) - Pass rate 56%; highest mark 7.25 .

Question 25.2

Causes of a high anion gap and high osmolar gap

(Acid-Base Disorders) - Pass rate 56%; highest mark 7.25 .

Question 25.3

Causes of a normal anion gap and high osmolar gap

(Acid-Base Disorders) - Pass rate 56%; highest mark 7.25 .

Question 25.4

Estimation of energy expenditure in critical illness;

(Endocrinology Metabolism and Nutrition) - Pass rate 56%; highest mark 7.25 .

Question 26

Respiratory failure and ARDS in pregnancy

(Pregnancy, Obstetrics and Gynaecology) - Pass rate 54%; highest mark 7.75 .

Question 27

Cardiac biomarkers in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

(Cardiology) - Pass rate 10%; highest mark 6 .

Question 28

Management of the patient with burns; also airway burns.

(Trauma, Burns, Drowning) - Pass rate 85%; highest mark 8.75 .

Question 29

Use of activated charcoal in toxicology; role of dialysis and haemoperfusion

(Pharmacology and Toxicology) - Pass rate 69%; highest mark 8.25 .

Question 30

Causes of acute liver failure: causes and complications

(Gastroenterology and Hepatology) - Pass rate 85%; highest mark 9.25 .

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