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Opening (30 s)
"Bradycardia and AV Block — give a one-line definition and the single most important immediate risk."
Model: Bradyarrhythmia in adults means a resting heart rate below 60 bpm (the clinical threshold drops to below 50 bpm when truly symptomatic, and athletic resting bradycardia of 30 to 40 bpm is physiological). The two master categories are sinus node dysfunction (sinus bradycardia, sinus arrest, sinoatrial block, sick sinus syndrome) and atrioventricular (AV) block — 1st degree (PR over 200 ms, benign),
Station 1 — Pathophysiology (2 min)
Explain the mechanism chain from cause to clinical features and one major complication.
Station 2 — Clinical diagnosis (2 min)
Classic presentation, atypical groups, named bedside signs, and what you examine for red flags.
Red flag cue: Asystolic pause over 5 seconds (or any pause causing syncope) — Stokes-Adams attack; emergency pacing and permanent device work-up
Station 3 — Investigations (2 min)
First-line tests, definitive tests, and any named score with exact components.
Station 4 — Emergency management (3 min)
ABC priorities, first drugs with dose and route, procedures, and when to escalate to ICU/theatre.
Station 5 — Definitive / long-term care (2 min)
Stepwise definitive therapy, monitoring, complications of treatment, follow-up.
Station 6 — Special populations (2 min)
Child / pregnancy / elderly / immunocompromised / renal impairment — what changes.
Station 7 — Evidence & pitfalls (2 min)
Landmark trial or guideline name if standard; three classic exam traps.
Station 8 — Rapid-fire pearls (1 min)
Five high-yield facts a candidate must not forget under time pressure.
Examiner pass criteria
- Speaks in mechanisms and numbers, not vague lists
- Gives at least one exact dose or threshold
- Names escalation criteria
- Avoids dangerous delays (imaging when unstable, etc.)