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dehydration

Practice targeted AMC-style multiple-choice questions on dehydration.

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An 80-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department from a nursing home due to increased lethargy and confusion over the past 24 hours. Her history includes dementia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Nursing staff report poor oral intake for 48 hours and a recent cough. On examination, she is drowsy but rousable. Her vital signs are: BP 85/50 mmHg, HR 110 bpm, RR 22 breaths/min, Temp 37.8°C, SpO2 94% on air. Capillary refill time is 4 seconds. Chest auscultation reveals decreased breath sounds at the bases. Abdomen is soft. Urine dipstick shows leukocytes and nitrites. She is on lisinopril and metformin. What is the most appropriate initial management step?

A. Administer intravenous fluid bolus (e.g., 500 mL crystalloid)
B. Administer oral rehydration solution
C. Obtain a chest X-ray and urine culture
D. Discontinue lisinopril and monitor blood pressure
E. Administer broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
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A 3-week-old male infant is brought to the emergency department by his parents due to persistent, non-bilious vomiting after each feeding for the past week. The vomiting has become increasingly forceful. The infant appears mildly dehydrated, with slightly decreased skin turgor. His weight is below the 5th percentile for his age. An abdominal X-ray is unremarkable. Given the clinical presentation, the physician orders further imaging, the results of which are shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Perform an upper endoscopy with biopsy
B. Initiate a trial of thickened feeds
C. Start oral erythromycin
D. Surgical pyloromyotomy
E. Administer intravenous antibiotics
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Pyloric stenosis as seen on ultrasound in a 6 week old
Image by Dr Laughlin Dawes CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

A 4-week-old male presents with persistent non-bilious vomiting after feeding. He is mildly dehydrated, but otherwise active. An ultrasound is performed, as shown. What is the MOST likely acid-base disturbance?

A. Metabolic acidosis
B. Normal acid-base balance
C. Respiratory acidosis
D. Respiratory alkalosis
E. Metabolic alkalosis
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
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A 4-week-old male presents with projectile vomiting after feeding. He is irritable and appears mildly dehydrated. An abdominal exam reveals a palpable, olive-shaped mass in the epigastrium. An upper GI contrast study is performed, and relevant images are shown. What is the MOST appropriate initial step in managing this patient's electrolyte imbalance?

A. Initiate feeding with a hypoallergenic formula
B. Administer intravenous normal saline bolus
C. Administer intravenous sodium bicarbonate
D. Administer oral rehydration solution
E. Administer intravenous potassium chloride
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
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A 3-week-old male infant presents with persistent, non-bilious projectile vomiting after each feed. He appears hungry and eagerly accepts the bottle, but vomits shortly after. On examination, mild dehydration is noted. An abdominal X-ray is ordered, the relevant image is attached. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. Perform an upper endoscopy
B. Administer intravenous ondansetron
C. Initiate a course of erythromycin
D. Surgical pyloromyotomy
E. Start a trial of thickened feeds
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Pyloric stenosis as seen on ultrasound in a 6 week old
Image by Dr Laughlin Dawes CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

A 5-week-old male presents with non-bilious projectile vomiting after each feed for the past week. He is alert but appears dehydrated. An ultrasound is performed, as shown. What electrolyte abnormality is MOST likely present?

A. Hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis
B. Hyponatremia
C. Normal electrolytes
D. Hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis
E. Hyperkalemia
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
Image by Adityagupta95 CC0 1.0 · Source

A 5-week-old male presents with projectile vomiting after feeds. He is irritable and appears dehydrated. An upper GI contrast study is performed, with relevant images attached. What is the MOST likely underlying cause?

A. Malrotation with volvulus
B. Duodenal atresia
C. Gastroesophageal reflux
D. Hypertrophy of the pyloric sphincter
E. Esophageal stricture
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
Image by Adityagupta95 CC0 1.0 · Source

A 5-week-old male infant presents with a 10-day history of non-bilious, forceful vomiting after every feed. His parents report decreased wet nappies and lethargy. On examination, he is pale, weighs 3.2 kg (birth weight 3.5 kg), has sunken eyes, and poor skin turgor. Vital signs: HR 170, RR 45, Temp 37.0, BP 80/50. Initial bloods show Na 132, K 3.1, Cl 88, HCO3 30. An imaging study is performed, shown in the image. Considering the clinical presentation and the findings demonstrated in the imaging study, what is the most appropriate immediate management priority for this infant?

A. Administer intravenous ondansetron to control vomiting.
B. Arrange urgent surgical consultation for definitive operative management.
C. Initiate intravenous fluid resuscitation with 0.9% sodium chloride and potassium supplementation.
D. Obtain a repeat imaging study using abdominal ultrasound.
E. Insert a nasogastric tube for gastric decompression and feeding.
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
Image by Adityagupta95 CC0 1.0 · Source

A 3-week-old male infant is brought to the emergency department by his parents. They report that he has been experiencing projectile vomiting after every feed for the past week. The vomiting is non-bilious. He appears dehydrated, with sunken fontanelles and decreased skin turgor. His weight has decreased since his last check-up. An abdominal X-ray is ordered, the results of which are shown. What is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Surgical consultation for pyloromyotomy
B. Discharge home with oral rehydration solution
C. Perform an upper endoscopy
D. Start feeds with thickened formula
E. Administer intravenous antibiotics
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Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
Image by Adityagupta95 CC0 1.0 · Source

A 4-week-old male presents with projectile vomiting after feeding. He is irritable and appears dehydrated. An upper GI series is performed, as shown. After addressing immediate concerns, what is the MOST appropriate next step?

A. Perform an upper endoscopy with biopsy
B. Administer intravenous antibiotics
C. Surgical pyloromyotomy
D. Start H2 receptor antagonist therapy
E. Initiate a trial of thickened feeds
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