Anatomy 101
Interruption of CN XI would paralyze?
trapezius muscle
What are the necessary life functions?
1. maintaining boundaries
2. movement
3. responsiveness
4. digestion
5. metabolism
6. excretion
7. reproduction
8. growth
Most PA programs prefer this type of process, where they review applications as they are received rather than waiting for the deadline.
What is Rolling Admissions?
A patient arrives with a "crush injury" from a construction site. A PA must monitor for this syndrome, where muscle breakdown leads to kidney failure.
What is Rhabdomyolysis?
While a surgeon is the primary operator, a PA often serves in this specific role, where they are responsible for retracting tissue, maintaining hemostasis, and suturing the final closure.
What is a Surgical First Assist?
Which nerve has cutaneous innervation of the lateral 3 and a half digits?
median nerve
The time from initial depolarization of the atria to initial depolarization of the ventricles is what?
the PR interval
This is the standard character limit (including spaces) for the CASPA Personal Statement.
What is 5,000 characters?
In a "penetrating trauma" case (like a GSW), a PA might perform this rapid ultrasound exam at the bedside to look for internal bleeding around the heart or abdomen.
What is a FAST Exam?
This is the specific 5-letter term for the area in the OR that contains all sterile items; if a non-sterile person touches it, the whole setup is "contaminated."
What is the Field? (The Sterile Field)
A fracture of the shaft of the humerus could cause complications with which nerve and artery?
radial nerve and deep brachial artery
Thiazide diuretics primarily inhibit which protein of the nephron?
The Na+/Cl- cotransporter in the early distal convoluted tubule
Effect: more Na+ stays in the tubule, so less water is reabsorbed.
While most students focus on PCE, this category is for time spent observing a PA or physician without providing direct patient care, which is exactly what the winners of this game will be doing.
What is Shadowing?
A patient presents with "the worst headache of their life." What condition do you suspect?
What is a Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?
Before the first incision, the entire surgical team pauses for this safety "check-list" to confirm the patient’s identity and the correct surgical site.
What is a Time-Out?
What is the difference between a direct and an indirect inguinal hernia?
direct: herniating bowel passes medial to inferior epigastric vessels; enters the inguinal triangle, exits the superficial inguinal ring
indirect: herniating bowel passes lateral to the inferior epigastric vessels; enters deep, exits superficial inguinal ring
What effect does insulin have on K+ in the body?
It stimulates K+ intake into cells by increasing the activity of the Na+/K+ ATPase
Once your application reaches this status, it means CASPA has verified your coursework and calculated your GPAs; at this point, you can no longer edit most sections of your application.
What is Verified Status?
A patient with a history of heavy drinking presents to The Pitt vomiting bright red blood. You suspect these swollen veins in the esophagus have ruptured.
What are Esophageal Varices?
In Plastic or Orthopedic surgery, this pressurized cuff is often used on an extremity to create a "bloodless field" for the surgeon and PA.
What is a Tourniquet?
What are the muscles of the middle ear?
Tensor tympani
Stapedius
What blocks transcription of the prolactin gene at the level of the anterior pituitary?
Dopamine
in people not pregnant, dopamine tonically inhibits prolactin secretion
If an applicant retakes a course and their university uses "Grade Replacement" to calculate their local GPA, CASPA will instead use this specific method for their official verified GPA.
Grade Averaging?
A 28-year-old male is brought into The Pitt following a motorcycle accident. He has a mid-shaft tibia fracture that has been splinted. Two hours later, he complains of "pain out of proportion" to the injury that is not relieved by morphine. On physical exam, you notice the skin is tense, and he has exquisite pain with passive stretching of his toes. Despite these findings, his pedal pulses are still palpable.
What is this surgical emergency, and what is the definitive "gold standard" treatment that a PA would assist with in the OR?
What is Compartment Syndrome and an emergent Fasciotomy?
To create a "hidden" scar in plastic surgery, a PA will place this specific type of continuous stitch just below the surface of the skin within the dermal layer.
What is a Subcuticular (or Intradermal) Suture?