Maternal and child health: IMNCI danger signs: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Maternal and child health: IMNCI danger signs

Sample item

An 18-month-old child is brought with cough and vomits everything she is given. As per IMNCI, the action is to:

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Classify as very severe disease and refer urgently after pre-referral treatment

General danger signs are inability to drink or breastfeed, vomiting everything, convulsions, and lethargy or unconsciousness. Presence of any sign classifies the child as very severe disease requiring urgent referral.

Option by option

  • A. Treat as non-severe pneumonia at home

    Home treatment is unsafe with a danger sign.

  • B. Reassure and give a cough syrup

    Cough syrup is not recommended and misses the danger.

  • C. Classify as very severe disease and refer urgently after pre-referral treatment (correct)

    Correct. Vomiting everything is a general danger sign.

  • D. Give ORS and review in 5 days

    ORS and delayed review ignore the danger sign.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, Classify as very severe disease and refer urgently after pre-referral treatment. General danger signs are inability to drink or breastfeed, vomiting everything, convulsions, and lethargy or unconsciousness.

Why is "Treat as non-severe pneumonia at home" not the answer?

Home treatment is unsafe with a danger sign.

Why is "Reassure and give a cough syrup" not the answer?

Cough syrup is not recommended and misses the danger.

Why is "Give ORS and review in 5 days" not the answer?

ORS and delayed review ignore the danger sign.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Maternal and child health: IMNCI danger signs in PSM. Presence of any sign classifies the child as very severe disease requiring urgent referral.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Maternal and child health: IMNCI danger signs?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.