Questions
1. Oesophageal varices:
a. Formation of pathological porto-systemic shunts relieves portal hypertension.
b. Risk of developing varices is about 40% for patients with Child’s C cirrhosis.
c. A large proportion of patients presenting with variceal haemorrhage are no longer bleeding at the time of endoscopy.
d. A paper reviewed in this issue of the Monitor demonstrates that the addition of endoscopic band ligation to terlipressin infusion reduces very early re-bleeding in patients with variceal haemorrhage but without active bleeding at emergency endoscopy.
2. Staphylococci:
a. S. epidemidis is an important cause of CAPD peritonitis.
b. S. saprophyticus is usually of pathogenic significance when isolated from respiratory secretions.
c. Metastatic infection only occurs in a small percentage of with patients S. aureus bacteraemia.
d. A paper reviewed in this issue of the Monitor suggests that point of care testing for MRSA may be feasible.
3. High frequency ventilation:
a. The stroke volume of a high volume oscillator is less than anatomical dead space.
b. In HFOV carbon dioxide removal is a function of bias gas flow.
c. High frequency ventilation allows adequate ventilation with a disrupted airway.
d. A paper reviewed in this issue of the Monitor suggests that HFOV may result in better outcomes in patients with acute lung injury or ARDS.
4. Abdominal aortic aneurysm:
a. Rupture may present with groin pain.
b. Congestive cardiac failure and renal failure may result from an aortocaval fistula.
c. Rupture tends to occur at a smaller diameter in men than in women.
d. A paper reviewed in this issue of the Monitor shows that endovascular stenting of large diameter aneurysms reduces mortality in patients physically ineligible for open repair.
