Trauma and burns: penetrating neck injury zones: 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: penetrating neck injury zones

Sample item

A man with a stab wound in zone II of the neck has an expanding haematoma and active bleeding. What is the appropriate management?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Immediate surgical exploration

Zone I is from the clavicles to the cricoid, zone II from the cricoid to the angle of the mandible, and zone III above the angle. Unstable patients or those with hard signs in zone II go straight to exploration, whereas stable patients are evaluated by CT angiography, and zones I and III often need imaging or angiography.

Option by option

  • A. Observation for 48 hours

    Observation is unsafe with expanding haematoma.

  • B. CT angiography before any action

    Imaging delays surgery in an unstable patient.

  • C. Immediate surgical exploration (correct)

    Correct. Hard signs in zone II need exploration.

  • D. Probe the wound in the emergency room

    Probing can dislodge clot.

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 C, Immediate surgical exploration. Zone I is from the clavicles to the cricoid, zone II from the cricoid to the angle of the mandible, and zone III above the angle.

Why is "Observation for 48 hours" not the answer?

Observation is unsafe with expanding haematoma.

Why is "CT angiography before any action" not the answer?

Imaging delays surgery in an unstable patient.

Why is "Probe the wound in the emergency room" not the answer?

Probing can dislodge clot.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Trauma and burns: penetrating neck injury zones in General Surgery. Unstable patients or those with hard signs in zone II go straight to exploration, whereas stable patients are evaluated by CT angiography, and zones I and III often need imaging or angiography.

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 Trauma and burns: penetrating neck injury zones?

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.