Med-surg: GI, perioperative & oncology worksheet with answers

Free printable Med-surg: GI, perioperative & oncology worksheet: 8 problems from easy to exam level, with an answer key. Print it or save it as a PDF.

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Name: ____________________   Date: ____________

1.Easy

Which symptom in an adult over 50 is a red flag for colorectal cancer?

  1. AOccasional wind and rumbling after eating a meal of beans
  2. BOne episode of loose stools after a takeaway meal
  3. CA lasting change in bowel habit with rectal bleeding
  4. DMild bloating before a period
2.Easy

Who should press the button of a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump?

  1. AA relative, while the patient sleeps
  2. BAny visitor the patient asks
  3. CThe nurse, at the start of each shift
  4. DOnly the patient
3.Easy

In many adult guidelines, how long before an elective anaesthetic can clear fluids usually be drunk?

  1. AUp to 2 hours before
  2. BUp to 24 hours before
  3. CUp to 10 minutes before
  4. DUp to 12 hours before
4.Medium

Why are antibody levels checked after a healthcare worker receives the hepatitis B vaccine?

  1. ATo confirm that the vaccine produced immunity
  2. BTo decide whether they need a liver biopsy
  3. CTo measure liver damage caused by the vaccine
  4. DTo check whether they caught hepatitis B from the vaccine
5.Medium

What is the main clinical difference between small and large bowel obstruction?

  1. ASmall bowel: marked distension only; large bowel: no pain, no vomiting and no distension at all
  2. BSmall bowel: early vomiting, less distension; large bowel: later vomiting, marked distension
  3. CSmall bowel: no vomiting at all; large bowel: early profuse vomiting with no distension
  4. DThere is no clinical difference; only a CT scan can tell them apart
6.Medium

Which is a usual benefit of laparoscopic over open abdominal surgery?

  1. ALess pain and a shorter hospital stay
  2. BNo risk of any complications at all
  3. CNo need for a general anaesthetic ever
  4. DLarger wounds that heal faster
7.Hard

A patient with a toe ulcer says the leg pain is worse at night and eases when they hang the leg over the side of the bed. What does this suggest?

  1. ALymphoedema
  2. BNeuropathic itching
  3. CArterial insufficiency
  4. DVenous insufficiency
8.Hard

On day 3 after admission, a patient with alcohol dependence becomes confused, with hallucinations, sweating, tremor, fever and tachycardia. What is the most likely cause?

  1. ANormal anxiety about being in hospital
  2. BAn allergic reaction to hospital food
  3. CDelirium tremens from alcohol withdrawal
  4. DHepatitis A caught on the ward

Answer key

  1. 1. C · A lasting change in bowel habit with rectal bleeding
  2. 2. D · Only the patient
  3. 3. A · Up to 2 hours before
  4. 4. A · To confirm that the vaccine produced immunity
  5. 5. B · Small bowel: early vomiting, less distension; large bowel: later vomiting, marked distension
  6. 6. A · Less pain and a shorter hospital stay
  7. 7. C · Arterial insufficiency
  8. 8. C · Delirium tremens from alcohol withdrawal

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