BDS General Medicine Syllabus

General Medicine syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for General Medicine in BDS, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Cardiology

   4 topics

   • Ischemic Heart Disease
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
     • Complications
   • Heart Failure
     • Types
     • Etiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Arrhythmias
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Hypertension
     • Classification
     • Etiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
2. 2

   Pulmonology

   4 topics

   • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Asthma
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Pneumonia
     • Types
     • Etiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Pulmonary Embolism
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
3. 3

   Gastroenterology

   4 topics

   • Peptic Ulcer Disease
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Liver Cirrhosis
     • Etiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Complications
     • Management
   • Hepatitis
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
4. 4

   Neurology

   4 topics

   • Stroke
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Epilepsy
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Parkinson's Disease
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Multiple Sclerosis
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
5. 5

   Nephrology

   4 topics

   • Acute Kidney Injury
     • Etiology
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Chronic Kidney Disease
     • Etiology
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Glomerulonephritis
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Nephrotic Syndrome
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
6. 6

   Endocrinology

   4 topics

   • Diabetes Mellitus
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
     • Complications
   • Thyroid Disorders
     • Hyperthyroidism
     • Hypothyroidism
     • Thyroiditis
     • Thyroid Nodules
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Adrenal Disorders
     • Cushing's Syndrome
     • Addison's Disease
     • Adrenal Insufficiency
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Pituitary Disorders
     • Acromegaly
     • Pituitary Adenomas
     • Hypopituitarism
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
7. 7

   Hematology

   4 topics

   • Anemia
     • Types
     • Etiology
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Leukemia
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Lymphoma
     • Types
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Coagulation Disorders
     • Hemophilia
     • Von Willebrand Disease
     • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
8. 8

   Rheumatology

   4 topics

   • Rheumatoid Arthritis
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Gout
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Scleroderma
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
9. 9

   Infectious Diseases

   4 topics

   • HIV/AIDS
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
     • Complications
   • Tuberculosis
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Malaria
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Dengue Fever
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical Features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management

General Medicine flashcards for BDS

20 of 61 cards from the General Medicine deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the underlying pathophysiology of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD)?

   An imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand, most commonly due to atherosclerotic narrowing of the coronary arteries reducing blood flow to the myocardium.

2. Differentiate stable angina from unstable angina.

   Stable angina: chest pain on exertion, relieved by rest or nitrates, due to fixed stenosis. Unstable angina: pain at rest or with increasing frequency/severity, due to a ruptured plaque with thrombus, part of acute coronary syndrome (no troponin rise).

3. How are NSTEMI and STEMI distinguished from unstable angina and from each other?

   Unstable angina: no troponin rise, no ST elevation. NSTEMI: troponin rise WITHOUT persistent ST elevation (subendocardial infarct). STEMI: troponin rise WITH persistent ST-segment elevation, indicating full-thickness (transmural) infarction from complete coronary occlusion.

4. What are the two most cardiac-specific biomarkers used to diagnose myocardial infarction, and their timing?

   Cardiac troponins (T and I) are most specific and sensitive; they rise within 3-6 hours, peak at 12-24 hours, and stay elevated up to 10-14 days. CK-MB rises early and normalizes by 48-72 hours, useful for detecting reinfarction.

5. State the initial acute management mnemonic MONA(B) for a myocardial infarction.

   Morphine, Oxygen (if hypoxic), Nitrates, Aspirin, plus Beta-blockers. Definitive reperfusion for STEMI is primary PCI (preferred) or thrombolysis if PCI is unavailable.

6. How is Heart Failure defined?

   A clinical syndrome in which the heart is unable to pump blood at a rate sufficient to meet the metabolic demands of tissues, or can do so only at elevated filling pressures.

7. Distinguish HFrEF from HFpEF using ejection fraction.

   HFrEF (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction / systolic failure): $EF \leq 40\%$, impaired contraction. HFpEF (preserved ejection fraction / diastolic failure): $EF \geq 50\%$, impaired relaxation/filling with normal EF.

8. Write the formula for ejection fraction and give the normal range.

   $$EF = \frac{SV}{EDV} \times 100\% = \frac{EDV - ESV}{EDV} \times 100\%$$ Normal is approximately $55\% - 70\%$.

9. Contrast the typical clinical features of left-sided versus right-sided heart failure.

   Left-sided: pulmonary congestion — dyspnoea, orthopnoea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea, pulmonary oedema. Right-sided: systemic congestion — raised JVP, peripheral (pitting) oedema, hepatomegaly, ascites.

10. What is the NYHA functional classification of heart failure?

    Class I: no limitation of activity. Class II: slight limitation, symptoms with ordinary activity. Class III: marked limitation, symptoms with less than ordinary activity. Class IV: symptoms at rest, unable to carry out any activity without discomfort.

11. Which biomarker is used to support the diagnosis of heart failure and why?

    BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide) or NT-proBNP; released by ventricular myocytes in response to wall stretch/volume overload. Elevated levels support the diagnosis, and normal levels make heart failure unlikely.

12. Define an arrhythmia and give the general division into brady- and tachyarrhythmias.

    An arrhythmia is any abnormality of heart rate or rhythm. Bradyarrhythmias: heart rate $< 60$ bpm (e.g., sinus bradycardia, AV blocks). Tachyarrhythmias: heart rate $> 100$ bpm (e.g., atrial fibrillation, SVT, VT).

13. What are the characteristic ECG findings of atrial fibrillation?

    Absence of distinct P waves, an irregularly irregular R-R interval, and a chaotic/fibrillatory baseline. The ventricular rate is often rapid and irregular.

14. What does the CHA2DS2-VASc score assess, and name its components.

    It estimates stroke risk in atrial fibrillation to guide anticoagulation. Components: Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age $\geq 75$ (2 points), Diabetes, prior Stroke/TIA (2 points), Vascular disease, Age 65-74, Sex category (female).

15. Distinguish first-, second- (Mobitz I and II), and third-degree AV block.

    First-degree: fixed prolonged $PR > 200$ ms, all beats conducted. Mobitz I (Wenckebach): progressive PR lengthening until a dropped beat. Mobitz II: constant PR with intermittent dropped QRS. Third-degree (complete): total AV dissociation — P waves and QRS independent.

16. How does ventricular fibrillation appear on ECG and how is it treated?

    Chaotic, irregular deflections with no identifiable QRS complexes; it is a non-perfusing rhythm causing cardiac arrest. Treatment is immediate defibrillation (unsynchronized shock) plus CPR.

17. How is hypertension defined by office blood pressure thresholds (typical guideline values)?

    Persistently elevated arterial pressure. A common threshold: Stage 1 hypertension $\geq 140/90$ mmHg (or $\geq 130/80$ under ACC/AHA). Normal is $< 120/80$ mmHg. Diagnosis requires repeated elevated readings.

18. Differentiate primary (essential) from secondary hypertension.

    Primary/essential hypertension (about 90-95% of cases) has no identifiable single cause. Secondary hypertension results from an identifiable cause such as renal disease, renal artery stenosis, primary aldosteronism, phaeochromocytoma, or Cushing's syndrome.

19. Name the major target-organ complications of chronic hypertension.

    Heart (LV hypertrophy, heart failure, IHD), brain (stroke, hypertensive encephalopathy), kidneys (nephrosclerosis, chronic kidney disease), eyes (hypertensive retinopathy), and vasculature (aneurysm, aortic dissection).

20. Write the formula relating mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (CO), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR).

    $$MAP = CO \times SVR$$ where $CO = HR \times SV$. Also estimated as $MAP \approx DBP + \frac{1}{3}(SBP - DBP)$.

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