PLAB Sample Questions
1) An 89 year old man has a basal cell carcinoma on his forehead which requires excision. He has dementia. The clinic nurse feels he is not competent to give consent for surgery.
Which is the most appropriate action for obtaining consent?
A) Ask a psychiatrist to assess his cognitive function
B) Ask his general practitioner to sign the consent form
C) Ask his wife to sign the consent form
D) Ask the patient to sign the consent form
E) Ask the surgeon to assess his mental capacity
2) A 21 year old woman has increasing severe pain in her left leg. She had an undisplaced fracture of the midshaft of her left tibia 2 days ago which was treated conservatively with a plaster cast.
Her toes are warm and pulses are present.
Which is the most important immediate action?
A) Elevate the limb
B) Refer to orthopaedics
C) Remove the plaster cast
D) Replace the cast with increased padding
E) Re-X-ray the fracture site
3) A 14 year old girl attends the GP surgery requesting the oral contraceptive pill (OCP). She is sexually active and her boyfriend is in the year above her at school. Her parents are unaware of the appointment and her request for OCP.
Which is the most appropriate management?
A) Advise her about safe sex and prescribe the OCP
B) Contact her parents
C) Contact the local safeguarding team
D) Contact the police
E) Explain it is illegal to prescribe the OCP for her
4) A 22 year old man has had a painful right eye for 1 day. He had similar symptoms 1 year ago. He has had episodic back pain and stiffness for 4 years which is relieved by exercise and ibuprofen.
His right eye is red and his vision is blurred.
Which is the most likely cause of his red eye?
A) Chorioretinitis
B) Conjunctivitis
C) Episcleritis
B) Keratitis
E) Uveitis
5) A healthy boy is born by vaginal delivery at 40 weeks gestation. His mother had confirmed acute hepatitis B during this pregnancy.
Which preventative intervention should be given immediately to the baby?
A) Confirm hepatitis B status of baby as first step
B) Full course of hepatitis B vaccine
C) Full course of hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin
D) Hepatitis B immunoglobulin
E) Hepatitis B vaccine as a single dose
6) A 66 year old man has been tired and has low back pain for 2 months. He has type 2 diabetes and hypertension and takes metformin and ramipril. He is a non-smoker and does not drink alcohol.
His pulse rate is 88 bpm and BP 138/82mmHg. Clinical examination is normal.
Investigations:
Haemoglobin 78 g/L (130–175)
White cell count 3.4 × 109/L (3.0–10.0)
Platelet count 80 × 109/L (150–400)
Corrected calcium 2.71 mmol/L (2.2–2.6)
Albumin 36 g/L (35–50)
X-ray of lumbar spine: generalised osteopenia and vertebral collapse at multiple levels.
Which is the most appropriate next investigation?
A) Serum angiotensin converting enzyme
B) Serum parathyroid hormone
C) Serum prostate specific antigen
D) Serum protein electrophoresis
E) Serum vitamin D
7) A 17 year old woman has a painless lump on her right breast for 4 weeks. There is no history of trauma. She takes the oral contraceptive pill. Her maternal grandmother had breast cancer.
She has a 1 cm painless lump in the upper outer quadrant of her right breast.
Which is the most appropriate initial investigation?
A) Excision biopsy
B) Fine needle aspiration cytology
C) Magnetic resonance imaging
D) Mammography
E) Ultrasound scan of the breast
8) A 40 year old man takes an overdose of his antidepressant tablets and is seen in the Emergency Department. He is medically fit for discharge. He has bipolar affective disorder. He is tearful and feels hopeless about his future.
Which is the most appropriate next management step?
A) Arrange liaison psychiatric assessment
B) Arrange psychiatric outpatient follow-up
C) Discharge to the care of his general practitioner
D) Referral to clinical psychologist
E) Referral to local alcohol treatment team
9) A 6 week old girl has bronchiolitis and is seen in the Emergency Department. She is medically stable and ready for discharge. There were no problems in pregnancy. She was born at term by normal vaginal delivery. She is an only child. Her mother says that she cannot cope with her new baby.
Which is the most appropriate initial management?
A) Arrange temporary foster care
B) Contact social services
C) Refer back to her GP
D) Refer her to safeguarding team
E) Organise a Place of Safety order
10) A 4 week old boy has had episodes of vomiting since birth. The vomiting occurs soon after feeding. He does not vomit after every feed and it is not related to the amount he takes. He is otherwise well and is gaining weight appropriately.
Which is the most likely diagnosis?
A) Cows milk protein allergy
B) Gastro-oesophageal reflux
C) Lactose intolerance
D) Pyloric stenosis
E) Urinary tract infection
11) A 19 year old woman has worsening vaginal discharge and bilateral iliac fossa pain for 3 days. Her vaginal discharge is foul smelling and she has dyspareunia. She is feverish and feels unwell.
Her temperature is 39.0°C.
Which combination of organisms are most likely to cause these symptoms?
A) Candida albicans and Gardnerella vaginalis
B) Chlamydia trachomatis and Candida albicans
C) Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis
D) Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Gardnerella vaginalis
E) Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida albicans
12) An 85 year old man has a fall at home and is seen in the Emergency Department. He had incontinence of urine and had been lying on the floor all night. He had a myocardial infarction 8 years ago. He takes aspirin, atorvastatin and ramipril.
His pulse rate is 94 bpm and BP 106/76 mmHg.
Investigations:
- White cell count 14.3 × 10⁹/L (3.0–11.0)
- Urea 30.4 mmol/L (2.5–7.8)
- Creatinine 158 micromol/L (60–120)
- Creatinine kinase 11025 U/L (25–200)