Cardiology: practice question

A General Medicine 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 Medicine · Cardiology

Sample item

Which feature is most concerning for infective endocarditis in a patient with persistent fever?

AA stable childhood birthmarkBA healed ankle sprainCIsolated seasonal rhinitisDA new cardiac murmur with positive blood cultures

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. A new cardiac murmur with positive blood cultures

Persistent bacteraemia together with a new or changing murmur suggests infective endocarditis, where repeated blood cultures and echocardiography help establish diagnosis and guide prolonged antimicrobial or surgical management.

Option by option

A. A stable childhood birthmark
A stable birthmark does not indicate bloodstream infection or valve disease.
B. A healed ankle sprain
A healed sprain is unrelated to infective endocarditis.
C. Isolated seasonal rhinitis
Seasonal rhinitis is an allergic upper-airway condition.
D. A new cardiac murmur with positive blood cultures (correct)
Correct: positive cultures plus a new murmur are important endocarditis clues.

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 Medicine question

What is the answer to this General Medicine question?

The best answer is D, A new cardiac murmur with positive blood cultures. Persistent bacteraemia together with a new or changing murmur suggests infective endocarditis, where repeated blood cultures and echocardiography help establish diagnosis and guide prolonged antimicrobial or surgical management.

Why is "A stable childhood birthmark" not the answer?

A stable birthmark does not indicate bloodstream infection or valve disease.

Why is "A healed ankle sprain" not the answer?

A healed sprain is unrelated to infective endocarditis.

Why is "Isolated seasonal rhinitis" not the answer?

Seasonal rhinitis is an allergic upper-airway condition.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Cardiology in General Medicine. The correct option holds because: Correct: positive cultures plus a new murmur are important endocarditis clues.

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 Cardiology?

For each disease know the classic presentation, the best test, and the first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other General Medicine 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.