Emergency and Critical Care (including Resuscitation)
Emergency questions test a priority-ordered approach: airway, breathing, circulation, then disability and exposure. Candidates must know the reversible causes of cardiac arrest and the sequence of basic and advanced life support. Understand shock classification (hypovolemic, cardiogenic, distributive, obstructive) and how physical findings and bedside assessment separate them. Master the recognition and initial management of anaphylaxis, sepsis, and acute respiratory failure. Know when to call for help and how to hand over clearly.
Traps: delaying defibrillation in a shockable rhythm; giving fluids in cardiogenic shock without reassessing; missing anaphylaxis because skin signs are absent; treating hypotension without identifying the type of shock; forgetting that time-critical interventions come before complete diagnosis.
Worked example: a patient collapses with no pulse. Start high-quality chest compressions immediately, attach a defibrillator, and follow the rhythm-based algorithm. For a shockable rhythm, defibrillate as early as possible and resume compressions immediately after the shock. Adrenaline is given at the protocol interval, not continuously, and reversible causes are sought throughout.
Rule of thumb: in any emergency, treat the greatest threat first. Oxygen, access, and monitoring are simultaneous actions, not sequential delays.
Key concepts: ABCDE priorities, shock classification, cardiac arrest algorithm, anaphylaxis, and sepsis recognition.