ABA ADVANCED Exam case studies
ABA ADVANCED Exam · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ADVANCED Exam is the second of three examinations in the American Board of Anesthesiology's initial certification pathway. The ABA describes candidates for certification as taking "a series of three exams: BASIC, ADVANCED and APPLIED," so the ADVANCED Exam sits between the foundational-science BASIC Exam and the APPLIED Exam, which assesses applied practice. The ABA ADVANCED Exam case studies are 5 cases and about 3,747 words.
1A Falling End-Tidal CO2 That Does Not Match the Patient
A 62-year-old man (96 kg, BMI 34) is having a laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy. After pneumoperitoneum to 15 mmHg and 25 degrees of Trendelenburg, ventilation is set to tidal volume 520 mL, PEEP 8 cmH2O, rate 14/min, FIO2 0.5.
760 words, about 4 min2Two Local Anesthetics, One Seizure
A 44-year-old woman (72 kg, ASA II, no comorbidities) presents for open reduction and internal fixation of a distal radius fracture. You perform an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block with 30 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine and 15 mL of 2% lidocaine containing 1:200,000 epinephrine, injected incrementally over six minutes with negative aspiration before and during each aliquot.
749 words, about 4 min3Confusion at the End of a TURP
A 72-year-old man (82 kg) undergoes transurethral resection of the prostate under a single-shot spinal anesthetic. Resection lasts 78 minutes with 1.5% glycine irrigant hung 60 cm above the bladder and 14 L used.
715 words, about 4 min4Collapse Six Minutes After Cefazolin
A 36-year-old woman (65 kg) with no known allergies has a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Induction is propofol 160 mg, fentanyl 100 micrograms, and rocuronium 40 mg; cefazolin 2 g is given at incision.
725 words, about 4 min5Eighty-Six Thousand Platelets and a Fetal Emergency
A 29-year-old primigravida at 34 weeks plus 2 days with severe preeclampsia has a blood pressure of 168/112 mmHg on a labetalol infusion, a persistent headache, and a category III fetal heart tracing that has not improved after 30 minutes of intrauterine resuscitation. She weighs 92 kg with a BMI of 40, a Mallampati 3 airway, a short thick neck, and facial edema.
798 words, about 4 min