Anemia: ABFM practice questions

5 board-style questions on anemia in the PulseMD family medicine question bank, written against current guidelines with the reference cited on each question. Two free samples below; the full set with answers, explanations, and spaced review is free to start.

Sample question 1

A 50-year-old woman reports an uncomfortable crawling and tingling sensation deep in both legs that occurs primarily in the evening when she is sitting or lying down. The sensation creates an irresistible urge to move her legs, and walking around the room provides immediate relief. She has a history of iron deficiency anemia with ferritin level of 18 ng/mL. What is the most appropriate initial treatment?

  1. Iron supplementation to target ferritin above 75 ng/mL
  2. Pramipexole
  3. Clonazepam at bedtime
  4. Gabapentin enacarbil

Sample question 2

A 32-year-old woman with heavy menstrual bleeding has hemoglobin 9.8 g/dL with MCV 74 fL. Which single laboratory test most reliably confirms iron deficiency as the cause?

  1. Serum ferritin
  2. Serum iron level
  3. Peripheral blood smear
  4. Hemoglobin electrophoresis

Create a free PulseMD account to answer these, see the explanations, and practice five minutes a day.

PulseMD is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or approved by the American Board of Family Medicine.