AMC MCQ - Australian Medical Council Multiple Choice Questions Cardiovascular Medicine Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 68-year-old man with a history of hypertension and type 2 diabetes presents to the emergency department with a 2-hour history of central crushing chest pain radiating to his left arm.
His ECG shows ST-segment elevation in leads II, III, and aVF.
According to the 2025 Australian clinical guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes, what is the most appropriate immediate management step?

Accepted Answer

Arrange for urgent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)

Answer

Administer intravenous thrombolysis

Answer

Administer a loading dose of clopidogrel and await troponin results

Answer

Perform an urgent echocardiogram to assess for wall motion abnormalities

Question 2

A 75-year-old woman is newly diagnosed with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) of 35%. She has a history of hypertension but no prior myocardial infarction. According to the 2018 National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand guidelines, which combination of medications is recommended as first-line therapy to improve survival?

Accepted Answer

An ACE inhibitor, a beta-blocker, and a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA)

Answer

A diuretic, digoxin, and a beta-blocker

Answer

An angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), a calcium channel blocker, and aspirin

Answer

A statin, an ACE inhibitor, and a diuretic

Question 3

Which of the following is the recommended target for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) for secondary prevention in a patient who has had an acute coronary syndrome, according to the 2025 Australian clinical guidelines?

Accepted Answer

< 1.4 mmol/L and at least a 50% reduction from baseline

Answer

< 2.5 mmol/L

Answer

< 2.0 mmol/L

Answer

< 1.8 mmol/L

Question 4

A 55-year-old male is diagnosed with hypertension during a routine check-up. His clinic blood pressure is consistently 165/100 mmHg. He has no other medical conditions and his cardiovascular disease risk is assessed as low. According to the National Heart Foundation of Australia's 2016 guidelines, what is the most appropriate initial step in management?

Accepted Answer

Commence monotherapy with a thiazide diuretic or ACE inhibitor

Answer

Commence immediate dual antihypertensive therapy

Answer

Recommend lifestyle modifications only and review in 3-6 months

Answer

Arrange for 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before starting treatment

Question 5

A 45-year-old woman with a history of rheumatic heart disease and a prosthetic mitral valve requires a major dental procedure (tooth extraction). According to Australian guidelines on the prevention of infective endocarditis, which of the following is true regarding antibiotic prophylaxis?

Accepted Answer

She should receive a single dose of amoxicillin 1 hour before the procedure.

Answer

Antibiotic prophylaxis is no longer recommended for any dental procedures.

Answer

Prophylaxis is only required if she has a fever on the day of the procedure.

Answer

Prophylaxis with intravenous vancomycin is the standard of care for all high-risk patients.

Question 6

A 70-year-old man presents with an irregularly irregular pulse and is diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. His CHA2DS2-VASc score is 4. He has no history of bleeding disorders. According to the Australian guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation, what is the most appropriate long-term management for stroke prevention?

Accepted Answer

Warfarin or a non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC)

Answer

Aspirin 100mg daily

Answer

Aspirin and clopidogrel dual therapy

Answer

No antithrombotic therapy is required