Directions To Candidates Paper 1 - Medical
Directions To Candidates Paper 1 - Medical
Directions To Candidates Paper 1 - Medical
h At all times make sure your answer sheet is CLEAN and NEAT,
and your marks are dark enough to be seen. Should you need to
change an answer, use the eraser provided and ERASE THE
OLD MARK COMPLETELY.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 1
h The following questions are A-type (single-best answer).
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 2
QUESTION 1
Cerebral palsy is defined as a disorder of posture and movement due to an insult to the developing
brain. What is the most common period for the responsible brain insult to occur?
A. Antenatal.
B. Intrapartum.
C. Neonatal.
D. 1 to 12 months.
E. After 12 months.
QUESTION 2
A three-year-old boy is being resuscitated in the community following an immersion injury. What is the
currently recommended ratio of external cardiac compressions to exhaled air resuscitations for a two
rescuer resuscitation in this patient?
A. 3:1
B. 5:1
C. 15:2
D. 30:2
E. 30:1
QUESTION 3
In an otherwise well toddler with significant nutritional iron deficiency anaemia, what is the expected
time interval between commencing iron therapy and a reticulocytosis becoming evident on a blood
film?
A. 3 days.
B. 7 days.
C. 14 days.
D. 30 days.
E. 60 days.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 3
QUESTION 4
A six-month-old child with cardiac failure secondary to severe dilated cardiomyopathy is initially treated
with Frusemide and Spironolactone. The addition of which of the following drugs to the child’s medical
therapy is most likely to result in hyperkalaemia if no changes are made to the existing therapy?
A. Amiodarone.
B. Captopril.
C. Digoxin.
D. Metoprolol.
E. Warfarin.
QUESTION 5
Which of the following vaccines is least likely to induce long term immunologic memory?
B. Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis.
D. Hepatitis B.
E. Pneumococcal polysaccharide.
QUESTION 6
The results of a study undertaken to determine the utility of urinary leukocyte dipstick testing in the
diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) in febrile children is shown below.
In this study, the negative predictive value of the leukocyte dipstick test is:
A. 35%
B. 70%
C. 75%
D. 90%
E. 95%
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 4
QUESTION 7
An 11-year-old boy is seen in clinic for review of congenital cardiac disease, for which he underwent
surgery as a neonate. You notice asymmetry of his face, as demonstrated in the photograph below.
A. Duane syndrome.
B. Horner syndrome.
C. Mobius syndrome.
D. Waardenburg syndrome.
E. Williams syndrome.
QUESTION 8
Which of the following best describes the mechanism for this increase in prolactin?
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 5
QUESTION 9
Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in a single gene on the long
arm of chromosome 7. These mutations lead to abnormal functioning of the cystic fibrosis
transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, a chloride channel in the cell membrane. The
most common mutation in the Australasian population is ∆F508.
B. Abnormal protein folding and thus poor transportation to the cell membrane.
QUESTION 10
A 16-year-old girl is brought to the Emergency Department after attending a dance party. On
presentation, she is extremely confused and agitated, she looks flushed and sweaty, and has dilated
pupils. Her heart rate is 120 beats/minute and her blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg. She is
complaining of some central chest pain.
Her presentation is most likely due to the ingestion of which of the following drugs?
A. Cannabis (Marijuana).
B. Diamorphine (Heroin).
E. 3,4–Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy).
QUESTION 11
Which of the following conditions is most likely to respond to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs)?
A. Aggression.
B. Anxiety.
C. Autism.
D. Depression.
E. Tics.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 6
QUESTION 12
A 13-year-old boy presents with right upper quadrant pain and vomiting. He lives on a sheep station.
On examination he is afebrile and has hepatomegaly.
An ultrasound scan confirms the presence of a 12 x 12 cm cyst, with several internal membranes, in
the right lobe of the liver. His chest X-ray was normal.
A. Albendazole.
B. Doxycycline.
C. Metronidazole.
D. Pentamidine.
E. Praziquantel.
QUESTION 13
Thyroid dysfunction due to which of the following is most likely to be missed on newborn screening?
A. Dyshormonogenesis.
C. Panhypopituitarism.
D. Thyroid agenesis.
E. Transient hyperthyrotropinemia.
QUESTION 14
The most significant change in auscultatory findings during a cyanotic spell in an infant with tetralogy
of Fallot is that the:
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 7
QUESTION 15
I:1 I:2
IV:1 IV:2
What is the most likely explanation for the apparent normal health of III:3?
A. Anticipation.
B. Imprinting.
C. Non-paternity.
D. Non-penetrance.
E. X-linked inheritance.
QUESTION 16
At 24-months of age, what percentage of children will spontaneously feed a doll with a pretend bottle?
A. 10%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 75%
E. 90%
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 8
QUESTION 17
An 11-year-old child undergoes muscle biopsy under general anaesthetic for a suspected myopathy.
During the procedure she develops a high temperature and generalised stiffness. Biochemical testing
shows acidosis, hypercapnia and a markedly elevated serum creatine kinase (CK).
A. halothane allergy.
B. malignant hyperthermia.
C. mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke like episodes (MELAS).
E. sepsis.
QUESTION 18
The initial luminal digestion of dietary starch by salivary and pancreatic amylase leads to the formation
of which disaccharide?
A. Fructose.
B. Galactose.
C. Glucose.
D. Maltose.
E. Sucrose.
QUESTION 19
A ten-year-old girl is brought into the Emergency Department after being bitten by an unidentified
snake. The snake venom detection kit is positive for brown snake venom from a bite site swab.
Which of the following is the most common clinical effect in this envenomation?
A. Cardiotoxicity.
B. Coagulopathy.
C. Nephrotoxicity.
D. Neurotoxicity.
E. Rhabdomyolysis.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 9
QUESTION 20
A three-year-old girl presents following a hypoglycaemic seizure and has some investigations. Urinary
metabolic screen confirms the diagnosis of Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase
deficiency (MCAD). The defect in this condition is most likely to cause hypoglycaemia by which of the
following mechanisms?
A. Hyperinsulinism.
B. Impaired gluconeogenesis.
C. Impaired glycogenolysis.
QUESTION 21
Which one of the following is the major determinant of risk of perinatal transmission of hepatitis C
virus?
A. Breastfeeding.
E. Mode of delivery.
QUESTION 22
Which of the following is the main site of potassium reabsorption in the nephron?
E. Collecting duct.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 10
QUESTION 23
C. stimulation of β2 receptors.
QUESTION 24
Centre for Disease Control (CDC) body mass index (BMI) charts have been recommended as a
screening tool to identify individuals who are overweight.
2
A. >25 kg/m .
2
B. >30 kg/m .
th
C. >85 percentile for age.
th th
D. >85 <95 percentile for age.
th
E. ≥95 percentile for age.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 11
QUESTION 25
A term infant with a history of neonatal sepsis was noted to have developed an area of subcutaneous
fat necrosis over the left spiral groove of the humerus. She has a left-sided wrist drop as shown in the
photograph below. Her deep tendon reflexes are normal.
A. Axillary.
B. Median.
C. Musculocutaneous.
D. Radial.
E. Ulnar.
QUESTION 26
A. Autonomy.
B. Motor control.
C. Secure attachment.
D. Self-regulation.
E. Separation.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 12
QUESTION 27
Which of the following coagulation factors is most likely to be relatively decreased in the healthy
newborn compared to older infants?
A. factor V.
B. factor VII.
C. factor VIII.
D. Fibrinogen.
QUESTION 28
Which of the following is most likely to be found on testing of the dystrophin gene?
D. Missense mutation.
E. Splice-site mutation.
QUESTION 29
Infliximab is effective in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Its mode of action involves:
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 13
QUESTION 30
A patient in the Emergency Department has the laboratory results shown below:
B. Diabetic ketoacidosis.
C. Lactic acidosis.
E. Salicylate poisoning.
QUESTION 31
QUESTION 32
Which medication has the best evidence for the treatment of adolescent depression?
A. Citalopram.
B. Fluoxetine.
C. Imipramine.
D. Paroxetine.
E. Venlafaxine.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 14
QUESTION 33
A six-month-old child undergoes cardiac catheterisation. The oxygen saturations obtained in room air
during the procedure are as follows:
D. tetralogy of Fallot.
QUESTION 34
Which serological finding in patients with hepatitis B indicates active viral replication?
A. Anti-HBc positive.
B. Anti-HBe positive.
C. Anti-HBs positive
D. HBeAg positive.
E. HBsAg positive.
QUESTION 35
The incidence of autosomal recessive kidney disease in the population is 1:20,000. The population
carrier frequency for the PKHD1 gene that leads to this disorder is closest to:
A. 1:50
B. 1:70
C. 1:100
D. 1:140
E. 1:400
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 15
QUESTION 36
A ten-year-old boy with severe bronchiolitis obliterans presents to the Emergency Department with
increasing exercise intolerance over the previous week.
QUESTION 37
In acute paracetamol overdose, which of the following mechanisms may result in hepatotoxicity?
QUESTION 38
Which of the following provides the strongest stimulus for postnatal closure of the ductus arteriosus in
a term infant?
E. Sympathetic stimulation.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 16
QUESTION 39
A 15-month-old boy recently completed chemotherapy for rhabdomyosarcoma. On routine testing the
following results were obtained:
Serum
Sodium 134 mmol/L [135–145 mmol/L] Creatinine 39 µmol/L [18–58 µmol/L]
Potassium 3.4 mmol/L [3.5-5.0 mmol/L] Calcium 2.46 mmol/L [2.20-2.70 mmol/L]
Chloride 114 mmol/L [97 – 109 mmol/L] Phosphate 0.44 mmol/L [1.07 - 2.03 mmol/L]
Bicarbonate 13.9 mmol/L [20.0 - 28.0 mmol/L] Magnesium 0.93 mmol/L [0.65 - 1.05 mmol/L]
Urea 4.9 mmol/L [2.1 – 8.4 mmol/L] Albumin 42 g/L [33 – 49 g/L]
Urinalysis
protein ++
glucose +++
A. cyclophosphamide.
B. dactinomycin.
C. etoposide.
D. ifosfamide.
E. vincristine.
QUESTION 40
In the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection, which of the following is the most common side effect
of ribavirin treatment?
B. Haemolytic anaemia.
C. Haemorrhagic cystitis.
D. Myocarditis.
E. Pancytopenia.
QUESTION 41
Which type of intervention is most likely to help children with delayed acquisition of reading skills?
A. Cerebellar exercises.
C. Occupational therapy.
D. Stimulant medication.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 17
QUESTION 42
A six-year-old girl presents after a fall from monkey bars. Her X-ray is shown below. On examination
she has paraesthesia of her thumb, index and middle fingers, as well as an impalpable radial pulse.
Compression of which of the following neurovascular structures best explains the physical findings?
QUESTION 43
Which of the following is not a mechanism used in the body for the production of endogenous
glucose?
A. Activation of lipolysis.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 18
QUESTION 44
A. factor II.
B. factor V.
C. factor VII.
D. factor VIII.
E. factor X.
QUESTION 45
The following results were obtained from a randomised controlled trial of a new artificial surfactant
called "S".
The number of babies that you would need to treat with “S” to prevent one case of chronic lung
disease is:
A. 5
B. 10
C. 15
D. 20
E. 30
QUESTION 46
A two-year-old boy presents with a six week history of diarrhoea and lethargy. Clinical examination
reveals lower limb and periorbital oedema. Investigations show:
Normal liver function tests apart from albumin 22 g/L [35 - 50 g/L].
Urine analysis was normal.
Coagulation profile was normal.
What faecal test would confirm that the low albumin was related to gastrointestinal losses?
A. Alpha-1 antitrypsin.
B. Chymotrypsin.
C. Elastase.
D. Proalbumin.
E. Trypsin.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 19
QUESTION 47
Boys with X-linked lymphoproliferative disorder are at highest risk of the development of severe illness
or lymphoma following infection with which of the following pathogens?
A. Cytomegalovirus.
C. Human herpesvirus 6.
D. Human herpesvirus 8.
QUESTION 48
Which of the following substances can induce expression of CYP3A4 and lead to a decrease in the
blood level of cyclosporin?
A. Diltiazem.
B. Erythromycin.
C. Grapefruit juice.
D. Ketoconazole.
E. St John’s Wort.
QUESTION 49
Current extended newborn screening is most likely to miss disorders from which of the following
groups?
A. Aminoacidopathies.
E. Organic acidaemias.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 20
QUESTION 50
You are reviewing a 15-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in your outpatient
clinic. He has been in an electric wheelchair for three years. He has not required admission to
hospital for more than five years.
Flow (L/sec)
Expected curve
Patient results
Volume (L)
D. Poor technique.
QUESTION 51
Absorption of iron in the ferrous form (Fe 2+) occurs mainly in the:
A. stomach.
B. duodenum.
C. jejunum.
D. ileum.
E. colon.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 21
QUESTION 52
A four-year-old boy presents with facial oedema and dark urine two weeks after a bout of tonsillitis.
He has been anuric for 18 hours. Initial investigations confirm acute renal failure with markedly
elevated serum urea and creatinine. His serum potassium is elevated at 6.8 mmol/L.
A. Calcium infusion.
C. Nebulised salbutamol.
QUESTION 53
The arterial blood pressure trace of an unwell one-year-old child is shown below.
The child has a one week history of low grade fever with viral symptoms. At presentation the child is
tachycardic and tachypnoeic with poor peripheral perfusion. The most likely diagnosis is:
A. cardiac tamponade.
B. coarctation of aorta.
C. dilated cardiomyopathy.
D. septic shock.
E. viral myocarditis.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 22
QUESTION 54
Which of the following is the most common adverse effect of carbamazepine (Tegretol)?
A. Alopecia.
B. Pancreatitis.
C. Rash.
E. Weight gain.
QUESTION 55
Which of the following is the most useful test for assessment of disease activity in systemic lupus
erythematosus?
E. Haemoglobin (Hb).
QUESTION 56
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation (sunlight) acts on the skin to catalyse which of the following reactions?
B. 25-hydroxyvitamin-D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.
C. Cholesterol to 7-dehydrocholesterol.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 23
QUESTION 57
A. 1 day.
B. 7 days.
C. 21 days.
D. 3 months.
E. 6 months.
QUESTION 58
In infants with glucose-galactose malabsorption, ingestion of foods containing which of the following
carbohydrates is likely to cause severe diarrhoea and dehydration?
A. Fructose.
B. Mannitol.
C. Mannose.
D. Sorbitol.
E. Sucrose.
QUESTION 59
Which of the following observations regarding a rare disorder would provide the best evidence of
autosomal dominant inheritance?
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 24
QUESTION 60
A six-year-old boy is receiving induction chemotherapy for newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic
leukaemia. He is brought to the Emergency Department by his parents three days after receiving
chemotherapy. He complains of an aching jaw and abdominal pain, and his parents report that he has
not had a bowel action for three days.
A. asparaginase.
B. daunorubicin.
C. methotrexate.
D. prednisolone.
E. vincristine.
QUESTION 61
Ondansetron and granisetron are widely used as antiemetics post anaesthesia and in
chemotherapeutic regimens. What is the mode of action of these drugs?
A. Anticholinergic.
B. Antihistamine.
C. Dopamine agonist.
D. Dopamine antagonist.
E. Serotonin antagonist.
QUESTION 62
Phenobarbitone is commonly used as the first line anticonvulsant in the treatment of neonatal
seizures. In what percentage of cases would you expect to achieve clinical control of seizures after a
loading dose of 20 mg/kg phenobarbitone?
A. 20%
B. 40%
C. 60%
D. 80%
E. 95%
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 25
QUESTION 63
Which of the following lipid-lowering drugs works primarily by the upregulation of low density
lipoprotein (LDL) receptor activity?
A. Cholestyramine.
B. Clofibrate.
C. Colestipol.
D. Nicotinic acid.
E. Simvastatin.
QUESTION 64
A 3200 g term baby girl, born by ventouse extraction, is seen at five hours of age with recurrent
apnoeic episodes. On examination she is afebrile, pale but well perfused, heart rate is 150 beats/min
and mean arterial pressure is 42 mmHg. A computed tomography (CT) scan of her head is shown
below.
A. extradural.
B. intraventricular.
C. subarachnoid.
D. subdural.
E. subgaleal.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 26
QUESTION 65
Which of the following psychoactive medications is most likely to cause excessive weight gain?
A. Fluoxetine.
B. Haloperidol.
C. Olanzapine.
D. Quetiapine.
E. Sodium valproate.
QUESTION 66
A. Bronchiolitis.
B. Croup.
C. Febrile convulsions.
D. Gastroenteritis.
E. Viral exanthem.
QUESTION 67
A three-year-old girl is diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma. Her maternal aunt died from
osteosarcoma at 12 years of age, and her maternal grandmother was treated for breast carcinoma in
her early forties. A familial tumour predisposition syndrome is suspected.
The most likely mechanism for this is a germline mutation in which of the following genes?
A. APC.
B. NF1.
C. p53.
D. RB1.
E. RET.
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 27
QUESTION 68
Macrolide antibiotics have been increasingly used in the treatment of children with cystic fibrosis. The
beneficial effect is most likely:
E. upregulation of CFTR.
QUESTION 69
A. IgA.
B. IgD.
C. IgE.
D. IgG.
E. IgM.
QUESTION 70
As glomerular filtration rate (GFR) declines, urinary creatinine clearance overestimates GFR because
creatinine is:
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 28
Paediatrics & Child Health
Answers
1 A 25 D 49 D
2 C 26 C 50 C
3 A 27 B 51 B
4 B 28 B 52 E
5 E 29 A 53 A
6 C 30 D 54 C
7 B 31 C 55 B
8 B 32 B 56 A
9 B 33 E 57 B
10 E 34 D 58 E
11 B 35 B 59 B
12 A 36 A 60 E
13 C 37 A 61 E
14 B 38 D 62 B
15 D 39 D 63 E
16 E 40 B 64 C
17 B 41 B 65 C
18 D 42 A 66 A
19 B 43 E 67 C
20 B 44 D 68 C
21 D 45 B 69 A
22 A 46 A 70 D
23 E 47 B
24 E 48 E
2008 FRACP Written Examination Paper 1 - Medical Sciences Paediatrics & Child Health 29