Trauma and burns: tension pneumothorax: 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.

Try it

General Surgery · Trauma and burns: tension pneumothorax

Sample item

After a stab wound, a patient has severe dyspnoea, hypotension, distended neck veins, tracheal deviation and absent breath sounds on the right. What is the immediate action?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Needle decompression of the right chest then chest drain

Tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis and needs immediate needle decompression (fifth intercostal space in the anterior axillary line, or second space midclavicular), followed by finger thoracostomy or chest drain. Waiting for imaging can be fatal.

Option by option

  • A. Wait for a chest radiograph

    Delay for imaging risks arrest.

  • B. Needle decompression of the right chest then chest drain (correct)

    Correct. Immediate decompression is lifesaving.

  • C. CT chest first

    CT is unsafe in an unstable patient.

  • D. Intubation without decompression

    Positive pressure ventilation worsens tension.

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.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Needle decompression of the right chest then chest drain. Tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis and needs immediate needle decompression (fifth intercostal space in the anterior axillary line, or second space midclavicular), followed by finger thoracostomy or chest drain.

Why is "Wait for a chest radiograph" not the answer?

Delay for imaging risks arrest.

Why is "CT chest first" not the answer?

CT is unsafe in an unstable patient.

Why is "Intubation without decompression" not the answer?

Positive pressure ventilation worsens tension.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Trauma and burns: tension pneumothorax in General Surgery. Waiting for imaging can be fatal.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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 Trauma and burns: tension pneumothorax?

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.