Antibiotics: ABFM practice questions

26 board-style questions on antibiotics 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 3-year-old boy is brought to the clinic with 2 days of right ear pain, fever of 39.1C (102.4F), and irritability. Otoscopic examination reveals a bulging, erythematous tympanic membrane with decreased mobility on pneumatic otoscopy. He has no drug allergies and has not received antibiotics in the past 30 days. What is the most appropriate treatment?

1. Amoxicillin-clavulanate 90 mg/kg/day for 10 days
2. Azithromycin for 5 days
3. Amoxicillin 90 mg/kg/day for 10 days
4. Observation with analgesics and follow-up in 48-72 hours

Sample question 2

A 6-year-old girl presents with sore throat, fever of 38.9C (102F), and odynophagia for 1 day. On examination, she has tonsillar exudates and tender anterior cervical lymphadenopathy. She has no cough or rhinorrhea. Her Centor/McIsaac score is 4. A rapid antigen detection test is positive for group A streptococcus. What is the most appropriate treatment?

1. Penicillin V for 5 days
2. Amoxicillin 50 mg/kg/day for 10 days
3. Azithromycin for 5 days
4. Symptomatic treatment only since most pharyngitis is viral

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

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