A pregnant woman at 28 weeks says she fell. She has bruises of different ages on her abdomen, and her partner answers every question for her. Four days after delivery, a new mom cries easily but is still caring for her baby. A week after delivery, another mother says her baby is evil.

Each of these is a classic PANCE setup, and each one has a wrong answer that sounds reasonable.

In Episode 177, we cover trauma in pregnancy and postpartum psychiatric disorders, including:

• Why a minor fall still matters, and how long you watch the baby afterward
• Getting the imaging the mother needs, and how much radiation actually worries you
• What to do when a pregnant patient is hypotensive lying flat on her back
• The red flags for abuse, and how to ask about it
• Postpartum blues vs postpartum depression: the timeline that separates them
• Which SSRI to pick for a breastfeeding mother
• Postpartum psychosis: the strongest risk factor, and why an SSRI alone is the wrong move

The study strategy for this episode: get into the sun. About 10 minutes of bright light early in the morning, and more later in the day, sets your body clock. Better sleep is one of the biggest things you can do for your studying.

Visit physicianassistantexamreview.com/177 for the episode notes.

Coming in November: a free Master Class on getting the most out of the question bank you already have, Nov 10 and 12. Register at physicianassistantexamreview.com/masterclass.

Think different. Work different. Score different.