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  2. CICM Fellowship Exam
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Acid-Base Disorders

Printable list of all acid-base disorder SAQs

(there are 124 questions in this topic)

Question 5.1
Question 7.1
Question 7.2
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 19.1
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 18.1
Question 18.2
Question 7.1
Question 9.1
Question 12
Question 18.1
Question 18.3
Question 5.1
Question 12.1
Question 12.3
Question 4.1
Question 4.2
Question 20.2
Question 20.2
Question 20.3
Question 13.1
Question 17.1
Question 17.2
Question 4.1
Question 4.2
Question 4.3
Question 8
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 20.1
Question 20.2
Question 20.3
Question 23.1
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 12.3
Question 23
Question 27
Question 7.2
Question 7.3
Question 24
Question 30.2
Question 3.1
Question 3.3
Question 3.4
Question 7.1
Question 7.2
Question 18.2
Question 18.3
Question 23
Question 26.1
Question 26.2
Question 26.3
Question 26.4
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 3.4
Question 3.5
Question 6.1
Question 6.2
Question 6.3
Question 6.4
Question 20.2
Question 20.3
Question 3.2
Question 6.1
Question 21.2
Question 21.3
Question 28
Question 8.1
Question 8.2
Question 8.3
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 9.1
Question 9.2
Question 22.2
Question 22.3
Question 6.1
Question 6.2
Question 6.3
Question 6.4
Question 9.2
Question 18.2
Question 22
Question 19
Question 25.2
Question 25.3
Question 24
Question 13
Question 15.2
Question 15.3
Question 7.1
Question 7.2
Question 7.3
Question 19.2
Question 3.1
Question 3.2
Question 3.3
Question 9.1
Question 18.2
Question 6.1
Question 6.3
Question 7
Question 5
Question 18
Question 23
Question 4
Question 9
Question 10
Question 10
Question 11
Question 17
Question 7
Question 14
Question 12
2020, Paper 1
Question 7.2

Causes of respiratory alkalosis

Question 7.1

Causes of metabolic acidosis

Question 5.1

Causes of metabolic acidosis: a mixed triple disorder

2019, Paper 2
Question 19.1

Abnormal coags and a metabolic acidosis

Question 3.3

Causes of metabolic alkalosis

Question 3.2

Causes of metabolic acidosis 

Question 3.1

Causes of lactic acidosis

2019, Paper 1
Question 18.2

Causes of metabolic acidosis; including the urinary anion gap

Question 18.1

Causes of metabolic alkalosis

Question 3.3

Mixed metabolic and respiratory acidosis

Question 3.2

Mixed normal and high anion gap acidosis

Question 3.1

Normal anion gap acidosis

2018, Paper 2
Question 18.3

Causes of respiratory acidosis

Question 18.1

Causes of metabolic acidosis

Question 12

 Causes of lactic acidosis

Question 9.1

 Causes of metabolic acidosis

Question 7.1

Causes of metabolic acidosis 

2018, Paper 1
Question 12.3

Causes of metabolic acidosis: cause of a high anion gap in the absence of acidaemia

Question 12.1

Mixed respiratory and metabolic acidosis - severe asthma

Question 5.1

Metabolic acidosis

2017, Paper 2
Question 20.2

Metabolic acidosis; also errors of ABG measurement (the "lactate gap")

Question 4.2

Metabolic acidosis

Question 4.1

Metabolic acidosis

2017, Paper 1
Question 20.3

Causes of metabolic acidosis

Question 20.2

Causes of metabolic alkalosis - due to GI chloride loss

2016, Paper 2
Question 17.2

Causes of lactic acidosis... also, hypomagnesemia as a cause of seizures

Question 17.1

Causes of lactic acidosis

Question 13.1

Mixed metabolic and respiratory acidosis due to sympathomimetic toxidrome

2016, Paper 1
Question 8

Monitoring blood lactate levels in the critically ill

Question 4.3

Base excess and standard base excess

Question 4.2

Causes of metabolic acidosis : a normal anion gap metabolic acidosis.

Question 4.1

Causes of lactic acidosis following abdominal surgery and seizures

2015, Paper 2
Question 23.1

Causes of metabolic acidosis: severe pneumonia with a raised lactate

Question 20.3

Causes of metabolic alkalosis

Question 20.2

Causes of lactic acidosis  - in this case, its probably meningococcal sepsis

Question 20.1

Causes of metabolic alkalosis

Question 3.3

Causes of lactic acidosis: the patient recovering from a generalised seizure

Question 3.2

Sources of error in blood sample analysis: effects of a delay in sample processing.

2015, Paper 1
Question 3.3

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis due to normal saline.

Question 3.2

Respiratory acidosis and metabolic alkalosis: eg. an exacerbation of COPD.

Question 3.1

High anion gap (lactic acidosis), with respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis.

2014, paper 2
Question 27

High anion gap metabolic acidosis due to lactate; with attention to the causes of lactic acidosis.

Question 23

Pyroglutamic acidosis, with a specific focus on the risk factors which predispose to it.

Question 12.3

ABG interpretation: a mixed respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis.

2014, Paper 1
Question 30.2

Metabolic alkalosis with severe hypokalemia - likely, hyperaldosteronism.

Question 24

Stewart's physicochemical approach to acid-base analysis

Question 7.3

Causes of a normal anion gap and high osmolar gap

Question 7.2

Causes of a high anion gap and high osmolar gap

2013, paper 2
Question 26.4

Causes of lactic acidosis (red cell transketolase comes up)

Question 26.3

High anion gap metabolic acidosis in the context of rhabdomyolysis.

Question 26.2

High anion gap metabolic acidosis: diabetic ketoacidosis with HONK

Question 26.1

Metabolic alkalosis following the resolution of a respiratory acidosis.

Question 23

High anion gap metabolic acidosis due to lactic acidosis.

Question 18.3

Pyroglutamic acidosis

Question 18.2

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis  due to a toluene-induced  Type 1 (distal) RTA.

Question 7.2

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis in a Scotsman with an Addisonian crisis

Question 7.1

Ketoacidosis: particularly, its various causes.

Question 3.4

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis  with a negative urinary anion gap.

Question 3.3

Citrate toxicity:  high anion gap acidosis  and a high total : ionised calcium ratio.

Question 3.1

Lithium toxicity featuring a negative anion gap

2013, Paper 1
Question 20.3

Causes of metabolic acidosis - a Type 1 renal tubular acidosis.

Question 20.2

Causes of metabolic acidosis - HAGMA with a raised osmolar gap.

Question 6.4

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis; a triple acid-base disorder

Question 6.3

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis due to normal saline.

Question 6.2

ABG interpretation in pregnancy - respiratory acidosis following a caesarian.

Question 6.1

A mixed alkalosis - combination of respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis

Question 3.5

Acute respiratory alkalosis due to hyperventilation

Question 3.4

Acute respiratory acidosis with a metabolic alkalosis

Question 3.3

High anion gap metabolic acidosis with a metabolic alkalosis.

Question 3.2

High anion gap acidosis plus a metabolic and respiratory alkalosis of salicylate overdose

Question 3.1

Causes of metabolic acidosis - mixed HAGMA and NAGMA.

2012, Paper 2
Question 28

Causes of lactic acidosis- an abdominal catastrophe.

Question 21.3

High anion gap metabolic acidosis in HONK; also, complications of HONK.

Question 21.2

Causes of lactic acidosis (red cell transketolase comes up)

Question 6.1

ABG interpretation in pregnancy - respiratory acidosis following a caesarian.

Question 3.2

Pyroglutamic acidosis, again.

2012, Paper 1
Question 8.3

HAGMA: diabetic ketoacidosis with HONK and respiratory acidosis.

Question 8.2

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis, again.

Question 8.1

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis; a triple acid-base disorder

2011, Paper 2
Question 22.3

Causes of metabolic acidosis - toxic alcohol ingestion

Question 22.2

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis

Question 9.2

ABG interpretation in pregnancy - respiratory acidosis following a caesarian.

Question 9.1

Metabolic alkalosis with respiratory compensation.

Question 3.3

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis  due to a toluene-induced  Type 1 (distal) RTA.

Question 3.2

Causes of metabolic alkalosis- resolution of a chronic respiratory acidosis.

Question 3.1

Pyroglutamic acidosis mixed with a NAGMA.

2011, Paper 1
Question 22

HAGMA with a low albumin; also independent variables in Stewart's approach.

Question 18.2

Causes of metabolic alkalosis

Question 9.2

Lactic acidosis and respiratory acidosis after seizures

Question 6.4

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis; a triple acid-base disorder

Question 6.3

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis due to normal saline.

Question 6.2

PaO2/FiO2 ratio criteria for ARDS. Also, calculation of bicarbonate replacement dose.

Question 6.1

A mixed alkalosis - combination of respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis

2010, Paper 2
Question 25.3

Causes of a normal anion gap and high osmolar gap

Question 25.2

Causes of a high anion gap and high osmolar gap

Question 19

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

2010, Paper 1
Question 24

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis  (and causes of lactic acidosis in general)

2009, Paper 2
Question 15.3

Causes of lactic acidosis (red cell transketolase comes up)

Question 15.2

Lactic acidosis which resolves rapidly - seizures, cardiac arrest or hanging.

Question 13

A day 5 post-trauma patient has fallen apart. What are the causes of lactic acidosis?

2009, paper 1
Question 19.2

Toxins which cause a raised osmolar gap as well as a raised anion gap.

Question 7.3

ABG interpretation in pregnancy - respiratory acidosis following a caesarian.

Question 7.2

Metabolic alkalosis and respiratory acidosis

Question 7.1

Calculation of the anion gap to determine "has this ketoacidosis resolved?"

2008, Paper 2
Question 18.2

Causes of normal anion gap metabolic acidosis

Question 9.1

How the blood gas analyser measures ABG variables

Question 3.3

Causes of lactic acidosis (red cell transketolase comes up)

Question 3.2

Lactic acidosis which resolves rapidly - seizures, cardiac arrest or hanging.

Question 3.1

A mixed alkalosis - combination of respiratory alkalosis and metabolic alkalosis

2008, Paper 1
Question 7

A diagnostic approach to metabolic alkalosis

Question 6.3

Causes of normal anion gap metabolic acidosis

Question 6.1

HAGMA in diabetic ketoacidosis: "does this patient still need insulin?"

2007, Paper 2
Question 5

Normal anion gap metabolic acidosis with hypokalemic rhabdomyolysis.

2007, Paper 1
Question 23

The anion gap as a diagnostic tool: advantages and disadvantages

Question 18

Causes of lactic acidosis in sepsis

2006, Paper 2
Question 9

Define base excess; discuss why it may change independently from the anion gap.

Question 4

Diagnosis and management of metabolic alkalosis

2006, Paper 1
Question 10

High anion gap metabolic acidosis in HONK.

2005, Paper 2
Question 11

Causes of a high anion gap and high osmolar gap

Question 10

Mixed respiratory acidosis and lactic acidosis; also ventilation strategies in asthma.

2005, Paper 1
Question 17

Assessment of acid-base compensation: Boston and Copenhagen methods

2004, Paper 2
Question 7

A diagnostic approach to metabolic alkalosis

2003, Paper 2
Question 14

A diagnostic approach to metabolic acidosis

2002, Paper 2
Question 12

Causes of lactic acidosis

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