Infections in pregnancy: listeriosis: practice question

A OBG 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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OBG · Infections in pregnancy: listeriosis

Sample item

A pregnant woman at 30 weeks has fever, myalgia and mild diarrhoea after eating soft unpasteurised cheese. Blood cultures grow Gram-positive rods with tumbling motility. Which antibiotic is the drug of choice?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Ampicillin (with or without gentamicin)

Listeria monocytogenes causes a flu-like illness in the mother but may lead to stillbirth, preterm labour or neonatal sepsis. Ampicillin is the drug of choice, with gentamicin added for severe disease. Cephalosporins have no activity against Listeria.

Option by option

  • A. Ceftriaxone alone

    Cephalosporins are intrinsically inactive against Listeria.

  • B. Doxycycline

    Tetracyclines are contraindicated in pregnancy.

  • C. Ampicillin (with or without gentamicin) (correct)

    Correct. Ampicillin is the treatment of choice for listeriosis in pregnancy.

  • D. Ciprofloxacin

    Fluoroquinolones are avoided in pregnancy and are not first line.

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 OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is C, Ampicillin (with or without gentamicin). Listeria monocytogenes causes a flu-like illness in the mother but may lead to stillbirth, preterm labour or neonatal sepsis.

Why is "Ceftriaxone alone" not the answer?

Cephalosporins are intrinsically inactive against Listeria.

Why is "Doxycycline" not the answer?

Tetracyclines are contraindicated in pregnancy.

Why is "Ciprofloxacin" not the answer?

Fluoroquinolones are avoided in pregnancy and are not first line.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Infections in pregnancy: listeriosis in OBG. Ampicillin is the drug of choice, with gentamicin added for severe disease. Cephalosporins have no activity against Listeria.

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 Infections in pregnancy: listeriosis?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG 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.