Question. An 84 year old woman has worsening confusion. She has visual hallucinations, disturbed sleep and urinary incontinence for 1 week. She has Alzheimer’s dementia and arthritis and has recently started taking paracetamol. Her abbreviated mental test score is 2/10.
Which is the most likely underlying reason for her deterioration?
A. Depression
B. Encephalitis
C. Medication related confusion
D. Progression of dementia
E. Urinary tract infection
Answer. (E)
Question. A 38 year old man has worsening vertigo and tremor. His symptoms are more pronounced in the morning. He has longstanding alcohol dependence and drinks 60 units of alcohol per week. His abbreviated mental test score is 9/10. He has an intention tremor, horizontal nystagmus and walks with a broad-based gait.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome
B. Benign positional vertigo
C. Cerebellar degeneration
D. Korsakoff syndrome
E. Wernicke encephalopathy
Answer. (C)
Question. A 32 year old woman has a febrile illness and swelling of the small joints of her hands for 2 days. She is seen in the GP surgery. She has not travelled outside the UK. She has two young children. She has a maculopapular rash and palpable, small cervical lymph nodes. The small joints of her feet, wrists and knees are swollen.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Psoriasis
B. Reactive arthritis
C. Rheumatoid arthritis
D. Sarcoidosis
E. Systemic lupus erythematosus
Answer. (B)
Question. A 78 year old woman has pain in her left thigh and calf after walking for 8 weeks. The pain is relieved with rest. She has a 40 pack-year smoking history. Her left popliteal and pedal pulses are not palpable.
Investigation:
Hand held Doppler: monophasic waveform in her left Dorsalis Pedis artery.
Which is the most likely site of arterial pathology?
A. Anterior Tibial
B. Dorsalis Pedis
C. External Iliac
D. Internal Iliac
E. Profunda Femoris
Answer. (C)
Question. A 53 year old woman has anorexia and increasing breathlessness. She has stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the lung and now requires full support with her activities of daily living. She takes diazepam, cyclizine and zopiclone.
Investigations:
Sodium 122 mmol/L (135-146)
Potassium 3.2 mmol/L (3.5-5.3)
Urea 6.2 mmol/L (2.5-7.8)
Creatinine 58 mmol/L (45-95)
Which is the most appropriate management of her electrolyte disturbance?
A. 1.8% sodium chloride by intravenous infusion
B. DDAVP nasally
C. Demeclocycline orally
D. Fluid restriction
E. No treatment indicated
Answer. (E)
Question. A 3 day old baby boy is noted to have ambiguous genitalia at his postnatal check.
Investigations:
Sodium 125 mmol/L (133-146)
Potassium 5.2 mmol/L (3.4–6.0)
Urea 5.0 mmol/L (0.8-5.5)
Creatinine 70 micromol/L (21–75)/li>
Bicarbonate 22 mmol/L. (22-29)
What is the most likely diagnosis:
A. Acute renal failure
B. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
C. Diabetes insipidus
D. Hyponatraemic dehydration
E. Renal tubular acidosis
Answer. (B)
Question. A 2 year old boy hurt his left arm after a fall from his tricycle. He stood up and started to cry but then went pale, unconscious and rigid. He recovered after 1-2 minutes. He had a similar episode 3 months ago after falling down some steps. Examination is normal.
Which is the most appropriate investigation?
A. CT scan of the head
B. Electroencephalogram
C. Full blood count
D. No investigation indicated
E. Skeletal survey
Answer. (D)
Question. A 16 year old girl has an enlarging lump on the right side of her neck for 6 weeks. She is seen in the GP surgery. She has no other symptoms. She has a 2x2 cm lymph node in the right anterior triangle of the neck and several smaller cervical lymph nodes. Her tonsils are enlarged and covered by a grey membrane.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Infectious mononucleosis
B. Leukaemia
C. Lymphoma
D. Sarcoidosis
E. Tuberculosis
Answer. A
Question. A 66 year old man has increasing abdominal pain. He had an anterior resection 5 days ago. His temperature is 38.5 ˚C, pulse rate 120 bpm and BP 90/60 mmHg. His abdomen is tender and there is generalised rigidity.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Hypovolaemia
B. Leaking anastomosis
C. Secondary haemorrhage
D. Urinary tract infection
E. Wound infection
Answer. (B)
Question. An 83 year old woman has visual hallucinations and is confused for 4 hours. She is on the medical inpatient ward and is being treated for pneumonia. She is restless and verbally abusive towards the staff who she believes are trying to poison her. She has no previous psychiatric history.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Delirium
B. Delusional disorder
C. Charles Bonnet syndrome
D. Parkinsons disease dementia
E. Psychotic depression
Answer. (A)
These questions cover various aspects of medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and professional skills. Remember to refer to the PLAB exam syllabus and guidelines for a comprehensive understanding of the exam content and format.
The PLAB test is a prerequisite for international medical graduates who want to practise medicine in the UK. Passing both parts of the exam is also a requirement. To receive a licence to practise medicine in the UK after passing the exam, you might need to complete additional exams, such as the GMC registration process and securing a job offer or training placement.
In order to practise medicine in the United Kingdom, international medical graduates must pass the PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) exam. The General Medical Council (GMC), which oversees medical practitioners in the UK, is in charge of administering it.
The PLAB exam is divided into two parts:
PLAB Part 1: This written, multiple-choice exam gauges your knowledge and comprehension of clinical practise and medical principles. It has 180 single-best-answer questions and covers a variety of subjects, such as surgery, psychiatry, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and more. The PLAB Part 1 exam is available in many different nations.
PLAB Part 2: This practical test evaluates your clinical abilities, communication abilities, and ethical standards. There are 18 situations in all, all of them take place in the UK and include interacting with fictitious patients. Your capacity to gather data, generate accurate diagnoses, and create treatment plans is evaluated by the examiners.
You must fulfil specific requirements, such as holding a primary medical certification recognised by the GMC and possessing the appropriate English language proficiency, in order to be qualified to take the PLAB exam. The GMC's website should be checked for the most recent and comprehensive qualifying requirements.
A strong foundation in clinical expertise and medical knowledge is necessary for PLAB exam preparation. Many applicants prepare by combining self-study, books, online sources, and practise tests. Additionally, a number of for-profit businesses provide training programmes and resources created expressly for the PLAB exam.