KUHS SHORT ESSAYS COLLECTION

Dr Rahul Rajeev MBBS MD DM

(Updated on 24th Jan 2024)

Dear everyone…

This is my attempt to save your time and effort as I know that since the pattern is new, many students
are confused on which topics to focus for short essays. As you all know, short essays are having high weightage (8x5
= 40 marks).

Let me be very clear. These are not questions framed by me. I have just arranged system-wise the exact
short essay questions asked in this year internal exams in various colleges of Kerala (which was sent to me by my
dear students).

In the PDF, you will see that at many places there are multiple similar questions from a single topic. I have
included all such questions (asked in different college exams from a topic) purposely, as I want you to know that
those topics are very important/high yield. That’s why it’s being asked in multiple college exams. Also I want you to
know how in different ways, questions are being asked from a single topic ‼

I have done my best to go through all question papers I got from students to make the PDF. I might have
missed out on some question papers which was not received from students. If I get them, I shall update the PDF

Hope it helps you 😊 With love, Dr Rahul Rajeev

MY ACADEMIC INSTAGRAM PAGE
 Neurology
• Clinical features and management of acute thrombotic stroke
• Clinical features and management of acute stroke
• Diagnosis and management of thrombotic stroke
• Management of ischemic stroke
• Enumerate the types of aphasia. Discuss regarding Wernicke’s aphasia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Etiopathogenesis, clinical features and management of Parkinson’s disease
• Discuss the clinical features and management of Parkinson’s disease ?(4+4)
• Parkinsonism – Pathophysiology, clinical features and treatment
• Atypical parkinsonism

Neurology
 • Multiple sclerosis
• Classify migraine and describe the differences between classical and non classical forms
of migraine
• How will you take a detailed history of a patient with chronic headache
• Enumerate the etiology of various types of dementia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
• Prion diseases
• Management of status epilepticus
• Epilepsy/seizure disorder - Types and management
• Ataxia - causes. Write a note on clinical features of cerebellar lesions (3+5)

Neurology
 • Discuss classification, clinical features , investigation and ,management of diabetic neuropathy
• GBS
• What is Guillain Barre syndrome. What are the types of GBS ? How will you treat a patient
with GBS ?
• Clinical features, investigations and treatment of a patient with bell’s palsy
• Discuss regarding the causes, investigations and treatment of bell’s palsy
• Myasthenia gravis
• Discuss the pathogenesis, clinical features and management of myasthenia gravis
• Discuss the clinical features, investigations and treatment of Myasthenia gravis
• Common causes for ptosis
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Neurology
 • Acute Pyogenic meningitis. Causative organisms, CSF findings, Treatment and Complications
(2+2+2+2)
• Discuss the etiology, clinical features and management of acute meningitis (2+2+4)

• Write the causative agents, clinical features and management of pyogenic meningitis
• Treatment of pyogenic meningitis
• Discuss the clinical features, complications, investigations and management of meningococcal meningitis

• CSF analysis
• Note on CSF analysis. Discuss the CSF findings and management of acute bacterial meningitis

• TB meningitis

• Treatment of cerebral abscess

Neurology
 Cardiology
• Draw jugular venous pulse and label the waveforms. Mention the reason for each wave. List 4 causes of
elevated JVP
• Hypertension
• Hypertensive crisis
• Hypertensive emergency
• Prinzmetal’s angina. Investigation and management
• Criteria for diagnosis and management of myocardial infarction
• Discuss the management of Acute Coronary Syndrome
• Diagnosis & management of Myocardial Infarction
• Risk factors, diagnosis and management of acute STEMI
• Complications of Acute coronary syndrome
Cardiology
 • Clinical features and management of acute LVF
• Define heart failure. List the complications of heart failure. How will you
manage a case of chronic heart failure (1+3+4)
• Clinical features and management of heart failure
• Pathophysiology and clinical features of heart failure
• Management of Heart Failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)
• Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction
• Classify the compensatory mechanisms involved in heart failure

Cardiology
 • Atrial Fibrillation
• Causes and management of Atrial Fibrillation
• Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation
• Discuss the evaluation and treatment of new onset atrial fibrillation
• 23 year old student is brought with palpitations. O/E, her pulse is irregularly irregular,
cardiac examination reveals a systolic murmur over the apex. Her thyroid gland is visibly
enlarged. Discuss the possible etiologies. How will you evaluate her ? (3+5)
• Ventricular tachycardia
• Bradyarrhythmias - classification, causes, clinical features & management
• Oral anticoagulants

Cardiology
 • Cardiomyopathy - types and management
• Diagnosis of Acute Rheumatic Fever
• Discuss and describe the clinical presentation and features of Acute Rheumatic Fever
• Clinical features, investigations and treatment of a patient with subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Discuss regarding the diagnostic criteria and treatment of Infective Endocarditis
• Diagnosis and treatment of Infective Endocarditis
• Clinical features of Infective Endocarditis. Modified Duke’s criteria (4+4)
• Clinical features, diagnosis and complications of Infective Endocarditis
• Clinical features and complications of Infective Endocarditis
• Clinical features and management of mitral stenosis
• Chest X-ray in mitral stenosis

Cardiology
• A 13 year old male presented with exertional dyspnea, PND and palpitation.
On examination, pulse was irregularly irregular , with a pulse deficit of more than 10.
Cardiac examination revealed loud first heart sound, opening snap with mid diastolic
murmur. Answer the following.
a) What is your complete diagnosis ? (3)
b) Discuss its management (3)
c) What are its complications (2)
• Pericardial diseases
• Congenital heart disease in adults
• Pulmonary Hypertension
• Enumerate the causes, clinical features, investigations and management of DVT

Cardiology
 Pulmonology
• Discuss the pathogenesis, diagnostic tests and treatment modalities of ARDS
• Diagnosis of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
• Pneumonia
• Lobar pneumonia
• Classify pneumonias. Write about the clinical features and investigations in community
acquired pneumonias
• Clinical features, investigations and management of Community acquired pneumonia
• Clinical features and management of community acquired pneumonia
Pulmonology
 • Tuberculosis
• Tuberculosis – clinical features, investigation, treatment
• How do you investigate and manage a case of pulmonary tuberculosis. What is MDR TB, What are the
second line drugs in anti-tuberculosis treatment ?
• 40 year old bus conductor is diagnosed to have sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis. How do you
counsel regarding treatment & prognosis ?
• Discuss first line anti-tuberculous drugs
• Causes of pleural effusion. How to investigate a case of pleural effusion (4+4)
• Draw and label X-ray findings of right moderate pleural effusion
• Prepare a format for taking informed consent for pleural fluid aspiration
• Clinical features and treatment of Empyema
• Pneumothorax
Pulmonology
 • 70 year old male with history of COPD for 10 years who continues to smoke,
presented with pedal edema and exacerbation of dyspnea.
a) What are the signs of pulmonary hypertension you will look for ? (3)
b) How do you classify pulmonary hypertension ? (3)
C) Relevant investigations & treatment of Cor pulmonale ? (2)
• Interstitial Lung Diseases
• Occupational lung diseases
• Discuss the clinical features, types, causes and management of Respiratory failure
• Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia

Pulmonology
• A 45 year old male with past history of pulmonary tuberculosis presented with
complaints of fever, cough and copious purulent expectoration and hemoptysis. He
gives history of recurrent respiratory infections with hemoptysis. On examination,
there was pan digital clubbing and bilateral coarse crackles.
a) What is the most probable diagnosis ? (1 mark)
b) Describe the etiopathogenesis and clinical features of this condition ? (3 marks)
c) What are the investigations to be done ? (2 marks)
d) Describe the management ? (2 marks)

Pulmonology
 • Discuss the etiology, clinical features and management of bronchiectasis
• Discuss regarding the causes, investigations and treatment of bronchiectasis
• Clinical features, investigations and complications of bronchiectasis
• Bronchial asthma – investigations and diagnosis, acute severe asthma assessment and management
• Write about the pathophysiology of bronchial asthma. Discuss the stepwise approach to its
management (3+5)
• Management of acute severe asthma
• Modified Medical Research Dyspnea Scale
• Lung abscess
• Non-metastatic extrapulmonary manifestations of lung cancer

Pulmonology
 Nephrology
• What are the types of acute kidney injury. Mention the investigations to diagnose and differentiate them
• Discuss the causes and management of acute kidney injury in adults
• Acute Kidney Injury - etiologies, investigation and management
• Discuss the cause of pre-renal, renal and post renal acute kidney injury
• Discuss the pathogenesis, diagnostic tests and treatment modalities of hepatorenal syndrome
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Discuss the causes, diagnostic evaluation, treatment and complications of a patient with Nephrotic syndrome
• Compare and contrast symptoms, signs and investigation results in acute nephritis and nephrotic syndrome
• Post infectious glomerulonephritis
• RPGN - Etiology, Investigations, Management

Nephrology
 • Lupus nephritis - investigations & management
• Clinical features of Chronic Kidney Disease
• Chronic kidney disease - causes, staging and management
• Diabetic nephropathy
• Etiology, investigations and management of chronic kidney disease
• Medical management of Chronic Kidney Disease
• Renal replacement therapy
• Polycystic kidney diseases
• Discuss the etiopathogenesis, clinical features, investigations and treatment of urinary tract infections
• Management of Acute Pyelonephritis
• Nephrotoxic drugs

Nephrology
 Infectious Diseases
• Approach to a case of Pyrexia of Unknown Origin
• PUO
a) Define Pyrexia of unknown origin (2 marks)
b) List ma jor causes of PUO (3 marks)
c) What are the investigations to be done ? (3 marks)
• Dengue fever
• Clinical features and management of leptospirosis
• Diagnosis and management of leptospirosis and its complications
• Weil’s syndrome – clinical features & management
• 4 points to differentiate between viral hepatitis A and leptospirosis

Infectious Diseases
• A chronic alcoholic living near a rubber plantation was brought to OPD with high grade
fever, severe myalgia and headache of 4 days duration and with oliguria. On examination,
PR = 116/min, BP = 140/80 mm Hg. Temp 101 degree F. Jaundice + , single black
erythematous lesion inside the left thigh. Mild tender hepatomegaly.
What is the possible clinical diagnosis ?
Briefly outline the clinical features and management of this condition
• Scrub Typhus
• Clinical features & investigations in Scrub Typhus
• Write about the following (4+4)
Clinical features and complications of Typhoid fever
Clinical features and management of Icteric leptospirosis
• Complications and management of Typhoid Fever

Infectious Diseases
 • AIDS
• CNS manifestations of HIV infection
• Nervous system and eye involvement in HIV
• Opportunistic infections in HIV
• Outline the management of HIV & associated opportunistic infections
• Post exposure prophylaxis in HIV
• Discuss the principle and regimen used in post exposure prophylaxis of HIV
• Diagnosis and management of TB in HIV
• Clinical syndromes caused by Staph aureus
• Discuss the etiology, clinical features and treatment of amebic liver abscess
• Describe the clinical features, types, management and complications of syphilis
• Secondary syphilis

Infectious Diseases
• 45 year old north Indian migrant labourer presented with seizures. MRI
showed multiple ring enhancing lesions scattered in the cortex, scolex seen
inside the lesion.
a) Life style of Taenia solium ? (3)
b) How will you treat neurocysticercosis ? (2)
c) Classification of helminths (3)
• Malaria
• Clinical Features & complications of Falciparum malaria
• Lyme disease

Infectious Diseases
 Hematology
• Classify anemias. Discuss the causes, manifestations, investigations and management of Hemolytic anemia
• Classify causes of anemia in adults. How will you investigate and interpret the reports in an elderly patient with severe anemia
• Peripheral smear in evaluation of anemia
• Hypoproliferative anemias
• Briefly outline iron metabolism. Discuss the clinical features, differential diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anemia
• Iron deficiency anemia - causes, clinical features, investigations , treatment
• Causes and management of iron deficiency anemia in adults
• Etiological evaluation of iron deficiency anemia
• Investigations used in the diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia and its relevance
• Symptoms, signs and investigations in iron deficiency anemia
• Describe the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features and management of megaloblastic anemia

Hematology
• 17 year old male presented with bleeding gums and purpuric rash. Platelet count was 16,000/mm3.
a) What ate the causes for thrombocytopenia
b) How will you investigate him ?
C) What is the treatment for ITP ?
• Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
• Pancytopenia
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Multiple myeloma
• Clinical features of multiple myeloma
• Clinical features, investigations and treatment of multiple myeloma
• Amyloidosis
• Discuss the etiology, clinical features and management of disseminated intravascular coagulation
• What are the safe transfusion procedures ?

Hematology
 Endocrinology
• Discuss the clinical features, complications and treatment of hypothyroidism
• Hypothyroidism. Clinical features, investigations and management
• Discuss and describe the clinical features of myxedema coma
• Approach to a patient with a primary hyperthyroidism
• Choose 4 appropriate investigations for a patient with hyperthyroidism
• Compare and contrast symptoms, signs and investigations in hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism
• Clinical features, differential diagnosis and management of thyrotoxicosis
• Clinical features and management of thyrotoxicosis
• Thyrotoxic crisis
• Thyrotoxic crisis - investigations and management
• Secondary hyperparathyroidism
Endocrinology
 • Prolactinoma
• Discuss the clinical features and management of hypopituitarism (4+4)
• Sheehan’s syndrome
• SIADH
• Diabetes insipidus
• Acromegaly
• Cushing’s syndrome
• Clinical features and complications of Cushing’s syndrome
• Pheochromocytoma
• Discuss the etiology, symptoms, signs and evaluation of Addison’s disease
• Discuss the causes, clinical features and management of Addison’s disease
• Adrenal crisis & its management

Endocrinology
 • Define and classify the types of diabetes

• How do you diagnose a patient as having diabetes mellitus. What are the acute complications related to Diabetes Mellitus ?
• Acute complications of Diabetes Mellitus
• Chronic complications of Diabetes mellitus
• Clinical features of diabetic foot. Care of the feet in diabetic patients
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis
• Write about the investigations and management of Diabetic Ketoacidosis ?
• Management of DKA
• DKA & HHS. Diagnosis and management
• Incretin based therapy
• A 76 year old male is admitted to casualty with altered sensorium. His GRBS is 746 mg%, Na 128 mEq/l, urine ketone body negative.
How will you evaluate and manage him.
• Hypoglycemia
• Spontaneous Hypoglycemia
• Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia

Endocrinology
 GIT & Hepatology
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease
• H.Pylori
• Acid Peptic Disease
• Discuss the differential diagnosis and management of acute upper GI bleeding
• Causes of upper GI bleed and management
• Management of acute upper GI bleed
• Discuss regarding treatment of Hematemesis
• Causes and management of acute pancreatitis
• Celiac disease
• Ulcerative colitis - investigations and management
• Enumerate the complications of inflammatory bowel disease
GIT & Hepatology
 • Systemic complications of Inflammatory bowel disease
• Differences between Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
• Complications and management of Crohn’s disease
• Clinical features, investigations and management of Irritable bowel syndrome
• Approach to a case of chronic diarrhea
• Discuss the etiology, pathophysiology, management and complications of liver cirrhosis
• Portal Hypertension
• Portal Hypertension - Clinical features, pathophysiology and management
• 55 year old manual labourer is brought to casualty with history of massive hematemesis. O/E he is pale, PR 108/min.
BP = 80/60 mm Hg. He has the regular habit of consuming alcohol. What is your impression about his condition ?
What are the other possible causes of pallor in such a patient ? How do you plan to manage him ? (2+2+4)
• Hepatic Encephalopathy
• Discuss regarding grading and treatment of Hepatic Encephalopathy

GIT & Hepatology

 • Ascites
• Symptoms, signs and investigations in tuberculous ascites
• Hemochromatosis
• Wilson’s disease
• Liver function tests
• Hyperbilirubinemias
• Clinical features and management of acute hepatitis
• Viral Hepatitis B
• Discuss laboratory diagnosis of Hepatitis B infection
• Management and complications of chronic Hepatitis B infection
• Discuss the etiology, clinical features, management and prognosis of Hepatitis C infection

GIT & Hepatology

 Rheumatology
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis - clinical features, criteria and management
• Detail the clinical features and diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis ?
• Discuss the diagnosis and treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis ? (4+4)
• Enumerate the extra-articular manifestations of Rheumatoid arthritis
• Extra-articular manifestations of inflammatory arthritis. Discuss DMARDs
• Management of Rheumatoid arthritis
• DMARDs
• Biologic DMARDs in rheumatological diseases

Rheumatology
 • 34 year old female presented with polyarthralgia. On examination, there was
polyarthritis involving large and small joints with sparing of DIP.
a) Diagnostic criteria for RA ? (3)
b) Extra-articular features of RA (3)
c) Classes of drugs and examples (2)
• Young male attended ER with complaints of monoarticular pain of right lower
limb of one day duration. No fever. No trauma. In the past he had renal colic.
Mention possible causes for monoarticular pain. Mention investigations and
treatment of the most probable cause in this patient. (3+2+3)
• Gout

Rheumatology
 • SLE. Clinical features, investigations and management
• SLE – Diagnostic criteria, clinical features and management
• Diagnosis of SLE
• Complications and management of SLE
• Clinical features and management of SLE
• APLA syndrome
• Systemic sclerosis
• Sjogren’s syndrome
• Mixed connective tissue disease
• Sarcoidosis
• Seronegative spondyloarthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Vasculitis
• Polyarteritis nodosa
Rheumatology
 Toxicology

• A 55 year old patient has been brought to the casualty with suspected history of OP poisoning.
Briefly outline the physical findings to support OP poisoning. Discuss the pathogenesis and
management of this condition.
• Discuss the clinical features and management of OP poisoning
• Paracetamol poisoning
• 19 year old unmarried girl is brought to casualty with history of suicidal ingestion of around 20
paracetamol 500 mg tablets. On examination, she looks very anxious, pulse 100/min and BP
100/60 mm Hg. How will you manage her ? If she seeks medical help too late, what complications
can she develop ? How will you explain the gravity of the situation to her parents ? (3+2+3)

Toxicology
 • 40 year old male presented with history of snake bite to right foot 2 hours ago. He had
bilateral ptosis.
a) What are the different types of snake venom ? (3)
b) Briefly explain pathophysiology of neurotoxicity in snake bites ? (2)
c) How will you manage him ? (3)
• Clinical features of cobra snake bite and management
• Diagnosis and management of Russel’s viper bite
• Complications of viper bite and management
• Management of hemotoxic snake bite
• Snake bite envenomation
• Choose and interpret two appropriate investigations in a patient with poisonous snake bite

Toxicology
 Electrolyte & Acid Base Balance disorders
• Approach to Hyponatremia
• Hyponatremia. Classification of causes & management
• Clinical features and management of hyperkalemia
• Approach and treatment of hyperkalemia
• Hyperkalemia
• Discuss etiology, clinical features and treatment of hypercalcemia
• Hypocalcemia
• Discuss the etiology, clinical features, investigations and treatment of metabolic acidosis

Electrolytes & Acid base balance disorders

 Nutrition

• Discuss the clinical features & management of Vitamin A deficiency

• Beri-Beri
• 85 year old lonely widow is brought with history of chronic diarrhea, memory loss and delirious behavior. On
examination, she looks ill nourished, has red scaly lesions around her neck and has spongy bleeding gums.
What is your impression and mention the rationale ? How will you manage her problems ? What is Hartnup’s
disease ? (3+4+1)
• Discuss one neurological manifestation of Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Clinical features of common vitamin deficiencies
• Prescribe replacement therapy with Iron, B12 and Folate
• Clinical features, investigations and management of Vitamin D deficiency

Nutrition
 Psychiatry
• Depression
• Schizophrenia
• Describe the clinical features, diagnosis, management and complications of bipolar disorder
• Alcohol use disorders. Specify the treatment of acute intoxication and alcohol withdrawal.
Mention about rehabilitation of chronic alcohol use disorders.
• Alcohol misuse disorders - classification, clinical features, investigations and management
• Consequences of chronic alcohol misuse
• Presentation and consequences of alcohol misuse
• Puerperal psychiatric disorders
• How will you take a detailed history of a patient with psychiatric illness

Psychiatry
 Dermatology
• Psoriasis
• Discuss the types, clinical features and management of psoriasis
• Clinical features and management of Psoriasis
• Discuss the pathophysiology and management of chronic plaque type psoriasis
• Guttate psoriasis

• Lichen planus
• Discuss the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of lepromatous leprosy
• Leprosy types, clinical features and management
• Leprosy - clinical features & management
• Treatment of Leprosy
• Lepra reactions
• Photosensitivity
• Discuss the treatment of scabies

Dermatology
 Miscellaneous
• Shock - types, manifestations, management
• Septic shock - clinical features, diagnosis and management
• Pathogenesis, management of sepsis. Explain “SEPSIS SIX”
• Discuss 4 causes for shock
• SVC obstruction
• Methods used in prevention. Control of infection in hospitals
• Neurofibromatosis
• Smoking related diseases
• Discuss Noninvasive ventilation

Miscellaneous
 • Obesity – Classification, enumerate complications and management
• Metabolic syndrome
• Discuss the etiology of falls in elderly
• Acute phase reactants
• Patterns of disease inheritance
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Discuss and elaborate regarding the types of hypersensitivity reactions
• Cystic Fibrosis

Miscellaneous