General Medicine

20 learning units • 100 chapter sections • 200 explained questions. Assess the patient, choose investigations and build a monitored management plan across adult medical specialties.

Original RAHBAR study material for the Year 4 learning pathway. Clinical cases support supervised undergraduate learning. Treatment choices, doses and procedures must follow current local protocols and the responsible clinical team. References & further reading ↓

MODULE 01 / 20

Acute Assessment & Clinical Decisions

Recognise instability, build a prioritised problem list and turn clinical findings into a safe initial plan.

Answer all 10 questions, then submit to see your score and explanations. This is a self-study exercise; results are not saved.

Question 01. A drowsy breathless patient arrives with hypotension. What comes first? A. Immediate ABCDE assessment and helpB. A complete family pedigreeC. Routine outpatient spirometryD. Waiting for all laboratory results

Question 02. Which bedside test is particularly important in unexplained reduced consciousness? A. Serum cholesterolB. Elective allergy testingC. Routine bone density measurementD. Glucose

Question 03. What best describes premature diagnostic closure? A. Revising a diagnosis with new evidenceB. Rechecking an unexpected resultC. Seeking a second opinion for instabilityD. Stopping the differential after an early plausible explanation

Question 04. Why document the time course of symptoms? A. It helps distinguish acute threats from chronic processesB. It replaces physical examinationC. It determines every diagnosis aloneD. It eliminates the need for observation

Question 05. What should guide the choice of an investigation? A. The desire to order every available testB. The longest available test panelC. Whether its result can change a clinical decisionD. The patient's bed number

Question 06. What makes an initial treatment plan safer? A. No reassessment once treatment startsB. Assuming every abnormality has one causeC. Disregarding existing medicinesD. A defined response target and review time

Question 07. Which finding should override reassurance from a normal temperature? A. A previous normal clinic visitB. New confusion and poor perfusionC. A normal cholesterol levelD. A remote uncomplicated operation

Question 08. What is the best response to an unexpected laboratory result? A. Ignore every unexpected resultB. Assess plausibility and verify while addressing urgent riskC. Treat every abnormal result identicallyD. Delete it from the record

Question 09. Which handover request is most actionable? A. The patient is interestingB. The notes contain everythingC. Please review now for persistent hypotension despite initial careD. Someone should check eventually

Question 10. Which discharge element is essential when a result remains pending? A. Assuming the patient will interpret it aloneB. Cancelling follow-up without reviewC. Removing the test from the summaryD. Named responsibility for review and communication

0 / 10 answered

References & Further Reading

Read the relevant guideline sections alongside these original clinical teaching cases. Local pathways, available services and individual patient factors determine care.

Reference review: 27 September 2026. Consult current local protocols for prescribing, procedures and escalation.