Hand injuries: high-pressure injection injury: practice question

A Orthopaedics 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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Orthopaedics · Hand injuries: high-pressure injection injury

Sample item

A mechanic accidentally injects grease from a high-pressure gun into his index fingertip. The finger looks only slightly swollen and is painless. What is the correct management?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Urgent surgical exploration and debridement

High-pressure injection injuries look trivial at first but the material tracks along tendon sheaths and causes ischaemia and chemical inflammation, with a high rate of amputation if treated late. Prompt wide exploration and debridement is the standard. Delay reduces the chance of saving the digit.

Option by option

  • A. Reassurance and oral analgesia

    Reassurance is dangerous because the injury is deceptively serious.

  • B. Oral antibiotics only

    Antibiotics do not remove the injected material.

  • C. Elevation and a splint for observation

    Observation allows irreversible tissue damage.

  • D. Urgent surgical exploration and debridement (correct)

    Correct. Early debridement offers the best chance of digit survival.

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 Orthopaedics question

What is the answer to this Orthopaedics question?

The best answer is D, Urgent surgical exploration and debridement. High-pressure injection injuries look trivial at first but the material tracks along tendon sheaths and causes ischaemia and chemical inflammation, with a high rate of amputation if treated late.

Why is "Reassurance and oral analgesia" not the answer?

Reassurance is dangerous because the injury is deceptively serious.

Why is "Oral antibiotics only" not the answer?

Antibiotics do not remove the injected material.

Why is "Elevation and a splint for observation" not the answer?

Observation allows irreversible tissue damage.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Hand injuries: high-pressure injection injury in Orthopaedics. Prompt wide exploration and debridement is the standard. Delay reduces the chance of saving the digit.

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 Hand injuries: high-pressure injection injury?

Pair each fracture with its classic complication and nerve injured. Then use the flashcards and the other Orthopaedics 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.