SBA for PICA 2025

A 35-year-old man undergoes echocardiography. The pressure-volume loop shows an increase in end-diastolic volume with no change in end-systolic volume.
What is the most likely explanation?

• Increased preload

• Increased afterload

• Decreased contractility

• Increased heart rate

A patient is given intravenous fluids rapidly to increase cardiac output.
What is the effect of increased venous return on the heart?

• Increased stroke volume

• Decreased cardiac contractility

• Increased heart rate

• Decreased preload

A 50-year-old male stands up quickly and feels dizzy for a moment.
Which mechanism restores his blood pressure to normal?

• Increased vagal tone

• Decreased sympathetic tone

• Baroreceptor-mediated vasoconstriction

• Reduced cardiac output

A patient with coronary artery disease experiences chest pain during exertion.
What determines myocardial oxygen demand?

• Cardiac output

• Heart rate and contractility

• Systemic vascular resistance

• Pulmonary capillary pressure

A patient with left-sided heart failure develops pulmonary edema.
What is the primary mechanism?

• Increased oncotic pressure

• Decreased alveolar pressure

• Increased capillary hydrostatic pressure

• Decreased lymphatic drainage

A patient with interstitial lung disease has reduced lung volumes and difficulty breathing.

What best explains the decreased compliance in this condition?

• Increased airway resistance

• Increased elastic recoil

• Decreased surfactant production

• Increased functional residual capacity

A patient on mechanical ventilation has high peak airway pressures but normal PaCO2.
What is the likely cause of this observation?

• Increased dead space ventilation

• Hypoventilation

• Decreased functional residual capacity

• Normal alveolar ventilation

A patient with chronic hypoxemia develops pulmonary hypertension.
What mechanism contributes to this condition?

• Increased nitric oxide production

• Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction

• Alveolar overdistension

• Hypercapnic vasodilation

A mountaineer acclimates to high altitude over several weeks.
What adaptation occurs to improve oxygen delivery?

• Leftward shift of the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve

• Rightward shift of the oxygen-haemoglobin dissociation curve

• Decreased 2,3-DPG levels

• Increased arterial oxygen tension

A 60-year-old smoker has an FEV1/FVC ratio of 60% and reduced FEV1.
What is the likely diagnosis?

• Restrictive lung disease

• Obstructive lung disease

• Pulmonary embolism

• Normal aging