Perioperative care: informed consent and duty of care: 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 · Perioperative care: informed consent and duty of care

Sample item

A surgeon is about to operate on a competent adult. Which statement about valid consent is correct?

AA relative's consent is enough for a competent adultBConsent must be voluntary, informed about material risks and alternatives, given by a competent patient and documentedCConsent is unnecessary for elective surgeryDVerbal consent never counts

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Consent must be voluntary, informed about material risks and alternatives, given by a competent patient and documented

Valid consent requires capacity, adequate disclosure of nature, material risks and alternatives, and voluntariness, and written documentation protects patient and doctor. In emergencies without capacity or surrogate, treatment in the patient's best interest proceeds. Negligence involves breach of duty of care causing harm.

Option by option

A. A relative's consent is enough for a competent adult
Competent adults consent for themselves.
B. Consent must be voluntary, informed about material risks and alternatives, given by a competent patient and documented (correct)
Correct. These are the elements of valid consent.
C. Consent is unnecessary for elective surgery
Elective surgery requires consent.
D. Verbal consent never counts
Verbal consent is valid for minor procedures, written is best for surgery.

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.

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Consent must be voluntary, informed about material risks and alternatives, given by a competent patient and documented. Valid consent requires capacity, adequate disclosure of nature, material risks and alternatives, and voluntariness, and written documentation protects patient and doctor.

Why is "A relative's consent is enough for a competent adult" not the answer?

Competent adults consent for themselves.

Why is "Consent is unnecessary for elective surgery" not the answer?

Elective surgery requires consent.

Why is "Verbal consent never counts" not the answer?

Verbal consent is valid for minor procedures, written is best for surgery.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Perioperative care: informed consent and duty of care in General Surgery. In emergencies without capacity or surrogate, treatment in the patient's best interest proceeds. Negligence involves breach of duty of care causing harm.

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 Perioperative care: informed consent and duty of care?

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.