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OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is subarachnoid hemorrhage. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how subarachnoid hemorrhage will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a traditional question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS CONDITION (ON EXAMS)
When it comes to standardized exams, each condition has its own “code” marked by key buzzwords, lab findings, clues, etc. If you are well versed in this code you will be able to more quickly identify the condition that is being discussed, and get the right answer on the exam you are taking. Below is the “code” for subarachnoid hemorrhage.
- “Worst headache of my life” is a CLASSIC chief complaint for this condition.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 40 year old woman presents to the ER with a history of a severe headache of sudden onset. She says that it is worse then any headache she has ever had before. She is given pain medication and sent home. She improves over the next few days, but 8 days after the initial presentation she again gets a sudden, severe and singular diffuse headache and she returns to the hospital. This time she has some nuchal rigidity on physical exam.
Explanation: worst headache of life = subarachnoid hemorrhage
TESTABLE FACTS ABOUT THIS CONDITION (BEYOND ITS IDENTIFICATION)
Many questions on standardized exams go beyond simply recognizing the underlying condition. Often there are specific testable facts regarding some aspect of the disease’s pathophysiology/management/clinical implications that are commonly asked. Some of these are listed below:
Page Updated: 03.08.2017