Benzodiazepines: ABFM practice questions

7 board-style questions on benzodiazepines 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 74-year-old woman presents after tripping over a rug at home and falling, resulting in a wrist contusion. She reports this is her second fall in the past 6 months. Her medications include lisinopril, metformin, and alprazolam 0.5 mg at bedtime for insomnia. Her vital signs are normal, including orthostatic blood pressure measurements. Her vision was last checked 3 years ago. What is the single most impactful initial intervention to reduce her fall risk?

1. Recommend calcium and vitamin D supplementation only
2. Order a brain MRI to rule out neurologic causes of falls
3. Prescribe a rolling walker for home use
4. Review and reduce fall-risk-increasing medications, starting with the benzodiazepine

Sample question 2

A 58-year-old man with a 20-year history of heavy alcohol use is admitted to the hospital for elective surgery. He reports drinking a pint of vodka daily. On post-operative day 1, he develops tremor, diaphoresis, tachycardia (HR 112), and mild confusion. His CIWA-Ar score is 18. What is the most appropriate initial pharmacologic management?

1. Phenobarbital 130 mg intramuscularly as a one-time dose
2. Chlordiazepoxide 50-100 mg orally, with symptom-triggered repeat dosing
3. Haloperidol 5 mg intramuscularly
4. Gabapentin 300 mg three times daily

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