Gastrointestinal surgery: faecal peritonitis management: practice question

A General Surgery 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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General Surgery · Gastrointestinal surgery: faecal peritonitis management

Sample item

A patient has diffuse peritonitis from a perforated sigmoid colon with faecal contamination. Which management bundle is correct?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, laparotomy for source control and washout

Faecal peritonitis demands resuscitation, early antibiotics covering Gram-negatives and anaerobes, and urgent laparotomy to control the source and wash out. Antibiotics alone fail with ongoing contamination.

Option by option

  • A. Delay surgery until cultures return

    Waiting for cultures delays life-saving surgery.

  • B. Resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, laparotomy for source control and washout (correct)

    Correct. Source control with antibiotics and resuscitation is required.

  • C. CT-guided drainage alone

    Percutaneous drainage suits localised collections, not diffuse peritonitis.

  • D. Antibiotics alone

    Antibiotics cannot stop faecal leakage.

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 General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, laparotomy for source control and washout. Faecal peritonitis demands resuscitation, early antibiotics covering Gram-negatives and anaerobes, and urgent laparotomy to control the source and wash out.

Why is "Delay surgery until cultures return" not the answer?

Waiting for cultures delays life-saving surgery.

Why is "CT-guided drainage alone" not the answer?

Percutaneous drainage suits localised collections, not diffuse peritonitis.

Why is "Antibiotics alone" not the answer?

Antibiotics cannot stop faecal leakage.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Gastrointestinal surgery: faecal peritonitis management in General Surgery. Antibiotics alone fail with ongoing contamination.

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 Gastrointestinal surgery: faecal peritonitis management?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery 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.