OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is anorexia nervosa. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how anorexia nervosa 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 18 year old girl si brought to he clinic by her father because of recent weight loss (10 lb in the last month) and increasing fatigue. Her father reports that during the past 2 weeks she has been drinking more water and going to the bathroom very frequently. The patient’s last menstrual period was 5 months ago. Menarche began at age 14, and previously her menses occurred at regular 28-day intervals. She explains that she often feels “chilly” and will sometimes have constipation and abdominal pain. She has no notable past medical history and currently is not taking any medications. She appears malnourished. Her BMI is 16.2 kg/m². Her temperature is 98.5°C, pulse is 53/min, and blood pressure is 95/60 mm Hg. Her skin is notably dry, and her abdominal exam is unremarkable. Her mental status exam reveals a depressed mood and an irritable affect. She says it upsets her when her father tells her she does not eat enough. She is concerned about being “too heavy” and reports that she recently has been binging on a large amount of snacks, then purging through self induced vomiting. What condition does this patient likely have?
Page Updated: 09.17.2016