Arab Board EM Final Written study guide
Arab Board EM Final Written · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Arab Board of Emergency Medicine Final Written Examination is the written component of the senior summative assessment leading to Arab Board certification in emergency medicine. It is intended for emergency medicine residents who have completed or are nearing completion of accredited training and who already hold the knowledge base built across the specialty. The Arab Board EM Final Written study guide has 12 sections and about 3,348 words.
01Resuscitation and Cardiovascular Emergencies
Candidates must command the universal cardiac arrest algorithm (compression depth 5–6 cm, rate 100–120/min, full recoil, minimal interruptions), rhythm-specific management of shockable versus non-shockable arrest, and reversible-cause thinking (the H's and T's). For acute coronary syndrome, know door-to-balloon targets, when fibrinolysis is acceptable, and the contraindications that examiners love.
271 words, about 1 min02Respiratory and Thoracic Emergencies
Master the recognition and stepwise management of acute severe asthma (silent chest, exhaustion, rising PaCO2 are ominous), COPD exacerbation with controlled oxygen targeting, and the distinction between type 1 and type 2 respiratory failure. Understand tension pneumothorax as a clinical diagnosis requiring immediate needle decompression before imaging, and the difference between simple, open, and tension pneumothorax.
249 words, about 1 min03Neurological and Psychiatric Emergencies
Know the stroke pathway: time of onset, glucose and CT first, thrombolysis window, and thrombectomy criteria. Understand the difference between ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke and when to reverse anticoagulation.
231 words, about 1 min04Gastrointestinal, Hepatic and Renal Emergencies
Cover the assessment and resuscitation of upper GI bleeding (two large-bore cannulas, crossmatch, restrictive transfusion strategy, early endoscopy, terlipressin and antibiotics in variceal bleeding). Understand acute pancreatitis diagnosis and severity scoring.
243 words, about 1 min05Trauma and Orthopaedic Emergencies
Understand the primary survey (ABCDE) with cervical spine protection, and the concept of damage-control resuscitation with permissive hypotension in penetrating trauma and balanced transfusion. Know the lethal triad (hypothermia, acidosis, coagulopathy) and how to prevent it.
253 words, about 1 min06Toxicology
Master the toxidromes (sympathomimetic, anticholinergic, opioid, cholinergic, sedative-hypnotic) and the antidotes: naloxone, N-acetylcysteine, sodium bicarbonate for tricyclics, glucagon and high-dose insulin for beta-blocker overdose, lipid emulsion for local anaesthetic toxicity, and fomepizole for toxic alcohols. Understand the paracetamol nomogram and the timing of N-acetylcysteine.
219 words, about 1 min07Environmental and Metabolic Emergencies
Cover heat illness (heat exhaustion versus heat stroke, cooling methods, and the risk of rhabdomyolysis), hypothermia with the concept of "not dead until warm and dead" and gentle handling to avoid arrhythmia, and frostbite. Understand drowning management (no routine cervical spine immobilisation, early ventilation), electrical injury, and altitude illness.
221 words, about 1 min08Paediatric Emergencies
Understand the paediatric assessment triangle (appearance, work of breathing, circulation) and the structured ABCDE approach with age-appropriate vital signs. Master paediatric resuscitation: weight-based drug dosing, the role of the intraosseous route, and the difference between respiratory and shock presentations.
244 words, about 1 min09Obstetric and Gynaecological Emergencies
Cover the recognition and management of obstetric haemorrhage (antepartum: placenta praevia, abruption; postpartum: uterine atony, retained placenta, trauma), pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (magnesium sulphate, antihypertensives, delivery), and the pregnant patient in cardiac arrest (left lateral tilt, peri-mortem caesarean within 4–5 minutes). Understand ectopic pregnancy and the use of quantitative beta-hCG and ultrasound.
231 words, about 1 min10Infectious Disease and Sepsis
Understand sepsis as a dysregulated host response to infection with organ dysfunction, and the Surviving Sepsis approach: early recognition, blood cultures before antibiotics, broad-spectrum antibiotics within the first hour for septic shock, fluid resuscitation, and vasopressors for refractory hypotension. Learn the qSOFA and NEWS tools and their limitations.
232 words, about 1 min11Emergency Ultrasound
Understand point-of-care ultrasound as an extension of the physical examination. Master the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and its role in unstable trauma patients, the RUSH protocol for undifferentiated shock, and the cardiac views for pericardial effusion and cardiac standstill.
236 words, about 1 min12Procedures and Airway Management
Understand the airway assessment (Mallampati, mouth opening, thyromental distance, cervical mobility) and the difficult airway algorithm. Master rapid sequence intubation with pre-oxygenation, induction agent, and neuromuscular blocker, and the recognition of a failed airway: cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate.
718 words, about 4 min