As prepared by Chris Nickson, here are the practice written questions from a recent CICM Second Part exam practice session at The Alfred ICU, with recommended reading from LITF.com’s Critical Care Compendium and other FOAM sources:
Q1.
Regarding this ECG from a 60-year-old man 2 days post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery:
Click to enlarge
- Describe the important ECG finding(s) (20%)
- What are the potential harmful consequences? (20%)
- Outline your approach to the key management issues (60%)
Learn more here:
https://lifeinthefastlane.com/ecg-library/atrial-fibrillation/
(LITFL ECG Library)
https://lifeinthefastlane.com/ccc/atrial-fibrillation/
(LITFL CCC)
Q2.
Regarding community acquired pneumonia (CAP):
- What features indicate that a patient with CAP is responding appropriately to treatment? (20%)
- Outline the factors that contribute to delayed resolution of presumed CAP (40%)
- Outline your approach to a patient who is not improving despite receiving appropriate empiric IV antibiotics for presumed severe CAP (40%)
Learn more here:
https://lifeinthefastlane.com/ccc/nonresolving-or-progressive-pneumonia/
Q3.
Critically evaluate the role of corticosteroids as a therapy in septic shock (100%)
Learn more here:
https://lifeinthefastlane.com/ccc/corticosteroids-in-refractory-shock/
You can access all the previous practice questions since 2014 here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Ta8IvVaVtc5Il7-kJwj6qKGu54OmifJGRUWCXud8dY/edit
See this link on INTENSIVE for exam resources:
https://intensiveblog.com/resources/#3