VIVAs · 2011B

2011 Second Sitting VIVAs

8 VIVA stations from the CICM examiner report for this sitting. Examiner wording, report provenance and reported performance data are preserved.

View 2011B SAQs →

Exam outcomes

36% (9/25)Written pass · MCQ + SAQ
89% (8/9)Oral pass · VIVAs
32.0% (8/25)*Overall pass · CICMWrecks-derived
How passing worked

Written pass: candidates successful in both written components (MCQ + SAQ) and progressing to the oral examination, divided by candidates presenting for the written examination.

Oral pass: candidates successful after the oral component, divided by candidates sitting the oral examination. The First Part oral component consists of VIVAs.

* Overall pass: a CICMWrecks-derived contextual figure: final successful candidates ÷ (candidates presenting for the written examination + candidates carrying a written pass). It is not a CICM-reported pass percentage.

VIVA stations

2011B

VIVA 1

Anatomy and Physiology of the Coronary Circulation
88.9%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This Viva will examine your knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the coronary circulation. Q 1. Describe the anatomy of the coronary circulation. Subsequent questions explored knowledge of factors that affect coronary artery blood flow (including diagrams), and physiology of beta-receptors.
Current · V5 (2025) D1.ii · primary D4.iv H3.ii
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 13

2011B

VIVA 2

Elements of the Acute Inflammatory Response and Serotonin Physiology and Pharmacology
66.7%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This Viva will examine elements of the acute inflammatory response and serotonin physiology and pharmacology. Q 1. Describe the mechanism of the acute inflammatory response to tissue injury. Subsequent questions explored knowledge of what cytokines are, and what major roles they play in the body, the complement system, apoptosis, immune basis of rejection of allogeneic organs, and serotonin.
Current · V5 (2025) N2.iii · primary H2.vii N2.ii
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 13

2011B

VIVA 3

88.9%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This Viva relates to the respiratory changes of pregnancy at term, hypoxaemia and the foetal circulation. Q 1. Describe the respiratory changes in pregnancy at term. Subsequent questions sought a description of ABG at term pregnancy, physiological mechanism to explain an increased A-a gradient, causes of a low PaO2 in a patient with a normal A-a gradient, the response of hypoxemia to supplemental O2 when the A – a gradient is normal and when abnormal, and a description of the foetal circulation and the changes that occur at birth.
Current · V5 (2025) P1.i · primary C8.ii C8.iii G2.i P2.ii P2.vi
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 13

2011B

VIVA 4

100%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
The candidates were shown a diagram of a neuromuscular junction and asked to label the various components. Subsequent questions sought knowledge of the processes occurring at the prejunctional / junctional / post junctional nerve terminal, to classify neuromuscular blockers, their mechanisms of action, and the pharmacokinetic properties that influence speed of onset and potency.
Current · V5 (2025) I1.iii · primary B2.iii I3.i
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 13

2011B

VIVA 5

Drugs and Drug Delivery Systems Used in the Treatment of Asthma
88.9%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This Viva will examine your knowledge of drugs and drug delivery systems used in the treatment of asthma. Q 1 Classify drugs used in the treatment of asthma. Subsequent questions sought knowledge of mechanism of action of beta 2 agonists in the treatment of asthma, important side effects of beta 2 agonists, actions of muscarinic anti- cholinergic antagonists, corticosteroids and aerosol drug delivery systems.
Current · V5 (2025) C10.iii · primary
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 14

2011B

VIVA 6

100%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This viva is about principles of electrophysiology in relation to the heart. Q 1 Draw the cardiac action potential for a ventricular muscle cell. Subsequent questions sought knowledge of what is the Resting Membrane Potential and how is it created, to describe ionic mechanism for each of the phases of the ventricular action potential, to draw the SA node action potential, compare and contrast the ventricular and SA node action potentials, and which pharmacological agents affect the different phases of the pacemaker potential.
Current · V5 (2025) D2.i · primary
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 14

2011B

VIVA 7

Endocrinology of the Thyroid Gland
100%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This Viva will test your knowledge of the endocrinology of the thyroid gland. Q 1 What is a hormone? How is it defined? Subsequent questions asked about chemical types of hormones, hormones secreted by the anterior pituitary, the principal biological role of the thyroid hormones, production of thyroid hormones, advantages of thyroxine for thyroid replacement in comparison to triiodothyronine, and mechanism of action of propylthiouracil.
Current · V5 (2025) L1.iv · primary L1.iii
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 14

2011B

VIVA 8

88.9%Successful candidates
Opening prompt
This Viva will discuss the pharmacology and the physiology related to the pulmonary artery pressure. Q1. What is the normal pulmonary artery pressure, and which factors will increase the pulmonary artery pressure? Subsequent questions asked about factors that increase pulmonary artery pressure, drugs used to treat pulmonary hypertension and their mechanism of action, advantages of NO over other drugs, how pulmonary artery pressure may be measured at the bed side, how to determine Pulmonary Vascular Resistance.
Current · V5 (2025) C5.ii · primary
Official source: 2011B CICM Examiner Report · page 14