Scenario
A 32 year old woman is brought to your emergency department by her friend who believes her to have taken a deliberate overdose earlier that morning.
The patient is drowsy and denies this. Her observations are normal.
Question
a. Describe and interpret her ECG (50%) b. What drugs would you consider as potential ingestants? (50%)
Answer
FACEM VAQ Exam 2008.1 – Question 6
- ECG showing markedly prolonged QT interval.
- The overall pass rate for this question was 54/62 (87.1%)
- The examiners felt that this was a basic question on a core ECG area that should have been well handled by most well prepared candidates.
- Despite this, a large number of candidates failed to diagnose the prolonged QT/QTc and/or failed to realise its significance.
- Failed candidates tended to provide an incorrect or non specific list of potentially causative drugs.
About Mike Cadogan
