VCU Internal Medicine Training Program
JAMA Rational Clinical Exam Series

For a full list of RCE articles, please visit the JAMA website.

Allergy/Immunology | Cancer | Cardiovascular | Endocrine/Nutrition
Geriatrics | Gastrointestinal Infectious Disease | Musculoskeletal
Nephrology | Neurology | Obstetrics/Gynecology | Ophthalmology
Pharmacology | Psychiatry | Respiratory

Allery/Immunology

• Does this adult patient have septic arthritis?
  JAMA 2007;297:1478-88.
• Does this patient have myasthenia gravis?
  JAMA 2005 Apr 20;293(15):1906-14.
• Is this patient allergic to penicillin?
  JAMA 2001 May 16;285(19):2498-505.

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Cancer

• Does this patient have a family history of cancer?
  JAMA 2004 Sep 22;292(12):1480-9.
• Does this patient have breast cancer?
  JAMA 1999 Oct 6;282(13):1270-80.
• Does this patient have a mole or melanoma?
  JAMA 1998 Mar 4;279(9):696-701.

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Cardiovascular

• Does this patient with a pericardial effusion have cardiac tamponade?
  JAMA 2007;297:1810-18.
• Does this dyspneic patient in the emergency department have congestive heart failure? JAMA 2005; Oct 19:294:1944-56.
• Is this patient having a stroke?
  JAMA 2005 May 18;293:2391-402.
• Does this patient have an acute thoracic aortic dissection?
  JAMA 2002 May 1;287(17):2262-72.
• Does this patient have aortic regurgitation?
  JAMA 1999 Jun 16;281(23):2231-8.
• Is this patient hypovolemic?
  JAMA 1999 Mar 17;281(11):1022-9.
• Does this patient have abdominal aortic aneurysm?
  JAMA 1999 Jan 6;281(1):77-82.
• Is this patient having a myocardial infarction?
  JAMA 1998 Oct 14;280(14):1256-63.
• Does this patient have deep vein thrombosis?
  JAMA 1998 Apr 8;279(14):1094-9
• Can the clinical examination diagnose left-sided heart failure in adults?
  JAMA 1997 Jun 4;277(21):1712-19.
• Does this patient have an abnormal systolic murmur?
  JAMA 1997 Feb 19;277(7):564-71.
• Does this patient have abnormal central venous pressure?
  JAMA 1996 Feb 28;275(8):630-4.
• Is listening for abdominal bruits useful in the evaluation of hypertension?
  JAMA 1995 Oct 25;274(16):1299-301.
• Does this patient have hypertension? How to measure blood pressure.
  JAMA 1995 Apr 19;273(15):1211-8.
• Clinical assessment of stroke.
  JAMA 1994 Apr 13;271(14):1114-20.
• Does this patient have a clinically important carotid bruit?
  JAMA 1993 Dec 15;270(23):2843-5.

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Endocrine/Nutrition

• Does this woman have osteoporosis?
  JAMA 2004 Dec 15;292(23):2890-900.
• Does this patient have a goiter?
  JAMA 1995 Mar 8;273(10):813-7.
• Is this patient malnourished?
  JAMA 1994 Jan 5;271(1):54-8.

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Gastrointestinal

• Can the clinical history distinguish between organic and functional dyspepsia?
  JAMA 2006 Apr 5;295(13):1566-76.
• Does this patient have acute cholecystitis?
  JAMA 2003 Jan 1;289(1):80-6.
• Does this patient have appendicitis?
  JAMA 1996 Nov 20;276(19):1589-94.
• Physical examination of the liver.
  JAMA 1994 Jun 15;271(23):1859-65.
• Does this patient have splenomegaly?
  JAMA 1993 Nov 10;270(18):2218-21.
• Does this patient have ascites? How to divine fluid in the abdomen.
  JAMA 1992 May 20;267(19):2645-8.

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Geriatrics

• Will my patient fall?
  JAMA 2007;297:77-86.

Infectious Disease

• Does this patient have ventilator-associated pneumonia?
  JAMA 2007;297:1583-93.
  
• Does this patient with diabetes have osteomyelitis of the lower extremity?
  JAMA. 2008;299(7):806-813.
• Does This Patient Have Erythema Migrans?
  JAMA 2007;297:2617-27.
  
• Does this patient have Influenza?
  JAMA 2005 Feb 23;293:987-97.
• Does this patient have strep throat?
  JAMA 2000 Dec 13;284(22):2912-8.

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Musculoskeletal

• Does this woman have osteoporosis?
  JAMA 2004 Dec 15;292(23):2890-900.
• Does this patient have an instability of the shoulder or a labrum lesion?
  JAMA 2004 Oct 27;292(16):1989-99.
• Does this patient have a torn meniscus or ligament of the knee?
  JAMA 2001 Oct 3;286(13):1610-20.
• Does this patient have clubbing?
  JAMA 2001 Jul 18;286(3):341-7.
• Does this patient have carpal tunnel syndrome?
  JAMA 2000 Jun 21;283(23):3110-7.
• What can the history and physical examination tell us about low back pain?
  JAMA 1992 Aug 12;268(6):760-5.

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Nephrology

• Does this patient have bacterial peritonitis or portal hypertension?
  JAMA 2008;299(10):1166-78.

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Neurology

• Does this patient have dementia?
  JAMA 2007;297:2391-404.
• Is this patient having a stroke?
  JAMA 2005 May 18;293:2391-402.
• Is this patient dead, vegetative, or severely neurologically impaired?
  JAMA 2004 Feb 18;291(7): 870-9.
• Does this patient have Parkinson Disease?
  JAMA 2003 Jan 15;289(3):347-53.
• Does this adult patient have acute meningitis?
  JAMA 1999 Jul 14;282(2):175-81.
• Does this dizzy patient have a serious form of vertigo?
  JAMA 1994 Feb 2;271(5):385-8.

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Obstetrics/Gynecology

• What type of urinary incontinence does this woman have?
  JAMA 2008 Mar 26;299(12):1446-56.
• Evaluation of vaginal complaints.
  JAMA 2004 Mar 17;291(11):1368-79.
• Is this woman perimenopausal?
  JAMA 2003 Feb 12;289(17):895-902.
• Does this woman have an acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection?
  JAMA 2002 May 22;287(20):2701-10.
• Is this patient pregnant?
  JAMA 1997 Aug 20;278(7):586-91.

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Opthalmology

• Does this patient have temporal arteritis?
  JAMA 2002 Jan 2;287(1):92-101.

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Pharmacology

• Is this patient allergic to penicillin?
  JAMA 2001 May 16;285(19):2498-505.
• Is this patient taking the treatment as prescribed?
  JAMA 1993 Jun 2;269(21):2779-81.

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Psychiatry

• Is this patient clinically depressed?
  JAMA 2002 Mar 6;287(9):1160-70.
• Does this patient have an alcohol problem?
  JAMA 1994 Dec 14;272(22):1782-7.

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Respiratory

• Does this infant have pneumonia?
  JAMA 1998 Jan 28;279(4):308-313
• Does this patient have community-acquired pneumonia?
  JAMA 1997 Nov 5;278(17):1440-5
• Does the clinical examination predict airflow limitation?
  JAMA 1995 Jan 25;273(4):313-9
• Does this patient have sinusitis?
  JAMA 1993 Sep 8;270(10):1242-6.

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