OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is opiate withdrawal. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how opiate withdrawal will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 20-year-old man is brought to the emergency room by his concerned parents, who are worried about his recent vomiting and diarrhea. On arrival, his pupils are dilated, his blood pressure is 180/100 mm Hg, and his muscles are twitching. His parents explain that these symptoms started a couple of hours ago. For the last few days he has been homebound because of a sprained ankle, and during this time he has become more and more anxious and restless. He has been yawning incessantly and they have also noticed a runny nose. What is a possible explanation for this patient’s presentation?
Page Updated: 09.20.2016