Physician Assistant Exam Review

Appendicitis Inflamed appendix Clinical Presentation Abdominal pain Beginning periumbilical and moving toward the RLQ Increasing in severity Pain with any movement Nausea and vomiting Fever Physical Exam Findings Abdominal tenderness even to light palpation Rebound tenderness Tenderness over McBurney’s point – located on the right side of the abdomen one third of the way from […] The post E85 Small Bowel and a Job Hunt Tip appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Disorders of the Stomach Peptic Ulcer Disease Defined as a break in the mucosal lining of the stomach or the duodenum. An ulcer is four to five times more likely to be found in the duodenum than in the stomach. PUD is the most common cause of a GI bleed Risk factors Helicobacter pylori is […] The post S2 E084 Stomach, Pancreas and Anxiety appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Esophagitis An inflammation of the esophagus Causes GERD Medications NSAIDS Antibiotics Bisphosphonates Many others Excessive alcohol consumption Infectious causes are related to an immunocompromised patient. Candida Herpes Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Clinical Presentation Dysphagia (diffic ulty swallowing) Odynophagia (painful swallowing) Heartburn Nausea Cough Labs and Studies Endoscopy with biopsy Herpes – Multiple shallow ulcers throughout the esophagus […] The post S2 E083 The Esophagus and a little anxiety management appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Hypercoagulable states (Thrombophilia) Where is the problem? Clotting Factors Too many Too active Platelets Too many Too active Vascular injury Surgery Trauma Stasis Virchow’s triad Stasis Hypercoagulable state Vascular injury German doctor and scientist who first described the mechanism for a pulmonary embolism. The name Virchow’s triad was not used until well after his death. […] The post S2 E082 Hyper-coagulability appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Coagulation Factor Disorders von Willebrand Disease A spectrum of low production to production of poorly functioning von Willebrand’s Factor. von Willebrand’s factor (vWF) has two major functions. vWF helps platelets to stick together in the subendothelial collagen vWF binds to and maintains Factor VIII in circulation. Factor VIII breaks down very quickly in the bloodstream […] The post S2 E081 Coagulation Disorders appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Straight from lymphoma and leukemia into Clotting diseases Hematology is not an easy section, but here we go. Today we’re covering blood clotting or coagulation.   Through this process blood transforms from a liquid into something more like jello. Why would we want this? We want this to prevent excessive blood loss.  This process also […] The post S2 E080 Clotting overview appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Lymphoma A group of malignancies that develop from lymphocytes There are over 80 types of lymphoma. Unlike leukemia lymphoma is a solid tumor Generally speaking (this is by no means 100% true) lymphoma develops in the lymphatic system Think lymph nodes and spleen Leukemia develops in the bone marrow The two main classifications of lymphoma […] The post S2 E079 Lymphoma and an important tactic for the PANCE appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Leukemia Leukemia is a disease characterized by the overproduction of a particular type of blood cell. This process often inhibits the production of normal blood cells These leukemia cells do not function as proper cells Leukemia does not form a solid tumor. Rather it produces blood cells which may infiltrate tissue. Leukemic cells have unusually […] The post S2 E078 Leukemia appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Sickle Cell Anemia Genetic Pattern Autosomal recessive Homozygote inheritance of Hemoglobin S (HbS) Predominantly seen in the African American population Oxygenated HbS does not dissolve well and forms a gel that distorts the shape of the RBC into a sickle. This makes the cells “sticky” and less flexible leading to clogging of small blood vessels. […] The post S2 E077 Hemolytic Anemias appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Macrocytic Anemia Macrocytic anemias produce strange dysfunctional blood cells. This will result in some hemolysis and progress to splenic dysfunction as the spleen becomes overloaded. Howell-Jolly bodies are DNA remnants seen with a macrocytic anemia or a damaged spleen. You will find them in B12 deficiency anemia, folate deficient anemia, sickle cell anemia and celiac […] The post S2 E076 Macrocytic Anemia appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Anemia Anemia means low RBC or Hgb count. A patient could be bleeding out and have a low Hgb or they could have a dietary deficiency. Anemia is a starting place. As we get more detailed and more specific we can get a more clear diagnosis and treatment plan. One of the easiest places to […] The post S2 E075 Microcytic Anemia and a Better Way to Remember appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Red Blood Cells Priming Questions What are the four polypeptide chains that make up hemoglobin? Define polycythemia What does MCV stand for and what does it mean? Define hemolysis. Red Blood Cells Simplified The specific shape of a RBC gives it an increased surface area for better gas exchange and flexibility for fitting into tiny […] The post S2 E074 Red Blood Cells appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Red Blood cells, White blood cells, Platelets Our Three Basic Problems We either have to many We don’t have enough What’s being made isn’t working correctly Cytoses Polycythemia – to many RBC’s Thrombocytosis -to many Platelets Cytopenias Anemia – low RBC Leukopenia  -low WBC Coagulation disorders Clotting factor disorders – messed up clotting factors  Thrombocytopenias […] The post S2 E073 Hematology Overview appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Parotitis/Sialadentitis Painful swelling of the parotid one or both parotid glands Cause Viral infection Historically the number one cause was the mumps Parainfluenza and Epstein barr are the most common HIV Bacterial infection Staph Aureus is the most common bacteria Autoimmune disease Sjogrens Blockage Stone Mucus plug Dehydration Clinical Presentation Facial swelling Facial pain Difficulty […] The post S2 E072 Wrapping up EENT appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Oropharyngeal Infections/Inflammatory disorders Aphthous ulcers (Canker sore) Round ulcer on oral mucosa Unknown etiology Clinical Presentation Small open sore in the mouth The sore is yellow or white Labs, Studies and Physical Exam Findings Clinical diagnosis Treatment Self limiting ½ hydrogen peroxide or chlorhexidine mouthwash Corticosteroids Oral candidiasis (Thrush) Yeast infection of the mouth 50% […] The post S2 E071 Throat and Mouth Infections and Inflammation appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Acute/chronic sinusitis An inflammation/infection of the sinuses Typically secondary to an upper respiratory infection or seasonal allergies Most common pathogens Strep pneumoniae Haemophilus Influenzae Moraxella catarrhalis Staph aureus Predisposing Factors Anything that obstructs drainage from the sinuses Smoking – (decreases movement of cilia) Deviated septum Cystic fibrosis Large adenoids Clinical Presentation I’ve had a cold […] The post S2 E70 The Nose and Sinuses appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

<< Click here to get 23 ENT questions straight from my book, The Final Step >> Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma) Slow growing benign tumor of the vestibulocochlear nerve, CN VIII Occurs in males and females equally Most often found in those between the ages of 50 and 60. The are the most common intracranial tumor […] The post S2 E069 Inner Ear and Hearing Loss appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

<< Click here to get 23 ENT questions straight from my book, The Final Step >> External Ear Cerumen Impaction Ear wax built up in the external ear canal Cerumen can be impacted by the patients use of a cotton swab Clinical Presentation Routine office visit Progressive hearing loss Labs, Studies and Physical Exam Findings […] The post S2 E068 External and Inner Ear from the PANCE Blue Print appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

This week I’m bringing you an amazing person and an amazing interview. The interview with Alana in Episode 061 about her first failing and then passing her PANCE was so good I decided to put together another interview. This week, for the second ever interview on the PAER podcast, I have an amazing member of […] The post S2 E067 Failing PA School appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.

Vascular disorders Retinal Artery Occlusion Causes & Predisposing Factors Clot Sclerosis HTN DM Atrial Fibrillation Temporal arteritis Clinical Presentation ACUTE vision loss Partial Complete NO PAIN Labs, Studies and Physical Exam Findings Fundal exam Optic atrophy Pale disc Cherry red spot – its actually that the rest of the retina is pale Boxcarring- narrowing of […] The post S2 E066 COVID-19 and the Eyeball appeared first on Physician Assistant Exam Review.