what do you do when....

[oreosandsake]

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You find yourself w/ conflicting sources?

example: Cephalasporins + etoh = disulfiram reaction

i've read about 5 different variations on this and wonder about how you answer these q's when you are taking the boards...

1) ceftriaxone

2) 6 or 7 3rd gen's are the biggest worry

3) random list of 2nd and 3rd gens to memorize

4) all 3rd gen

example 2: Antidepressants that are CI in depression d/t overweight

1)TCA
2)TCA and SSRI
3)Every single antidepressant is assoc with weightgain/weight loss as well as sexual dysfunction that could be either premature ejaculation AND/or delayed ejaculation...



What do you do when you find these discrepancies in your study materials? 😕

thanks.

 

[dr.weiner]

I would just take solace in that the boards will only present the classic scenarios. For example, they won't ask a question on dilsulfiram-like effects and then list 5 different cephalosporins as answers. They just want to know that disulfiram's are assoc. with some of them. They would probably use another drug to test disulfiram-like rxns that which isn't as vaguely defined like, Metronidazole, 1st gen. sulfonylureas, etc.

When you see stuff where there isn't a clear consensus in all sources, you just have to trust that the boards won't try to trip you up on the subtleties, or will provide enough other information in the stem so you can answer the question correctly.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I do not recall any questions on things that are inconsistent from book to book. In the example you gave I would not expect to see more than one cephalosporin as an option, and more likely they'd test you on something with a more classic reaction (although not everything they give you is classic).

 

[Idiopathic]

The answer choices are not as difficult to separate as you might think. The scenarios are not always as easy to pick up. I think thats what people mess up the most. they assume a relatively easy scenario (i.e. girl gets uti, gets pill, goes drinking, sick the next day) and then a ridiculously hard list of answers. Typically, the scenario is less direct and the answer choices are clearly separatable into category.

 

[Bioengineer]

Sometimes the answer choices may include all the drugs in a particular class, but there will be something unique about the one they want you to pick. (eg. all types of tetracyclines may be listed, but only doxycycline is not eliminated by the kidneys...therefore, in a patient with renal failure who needs to get rid of his Rickettsia infection doxycycline would be the best choice)

always look for what makes each choice unique, even within a drug class, disease class, etc.