OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is opiate overdose. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how opiate overdose 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 26 yea told man is found unconscious in the living room of his apartment. His neighbor calls the emergency responders and informs them of the patient’s history of substance abuse, as well as a recent hospital admissions for depression. In the emergency department the patient is cyanotic, and unresponsive to any painful stimuli. His temperature is 98.6 °F, blood pressure is 105/60 mm Hg, pulse is 65/min, and respirations are 5/min. Physical exam reveals pupils that are constricted and poorly responsible to light. The medical team begins resuscitation efforts. The patient is given IV medication and regains consciousness 2 minutes later. Soon after this he explains that he wants to go home. The attending physician doe sot discharge the patient and requests a psychiatric consult instead. What is the most likely diagnosis given the information above?
Question # 2
A 48 year old man is brought tot he emergency room in respiratory depression 40 minutes after he attempted suicide by injecting a large amount of an unknown substance. Upon arriving at the emergency department the patient is intubated and mechanically ventilated. He is not conscious, however does respond to a sternal rub by moaning. His physical exam reveals the present of pinpoint pupils. There are diffuse crackles heard upon auscultation the lungs. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Question # 3
A 55-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his concerned friend. His respirations are shallow and infrequent (respiration rate is 5/min), his pupils are constricted, and he is stuporous. His friend describes that the patient experienced what sounds like a grand-mal seizure on the car ride to the hosptial. What is a likely explanation for this patient’s presentation?
Page Updated: 09.14.2016