Acute abdomen: 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 · Acute abdomen

Sample item

Which sign supports peritonitis on abdominal examination?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Involuntary guarding with rebound tenderness

Peritoneal inflammation causes guarding and pain when pressure is released, indicating an acute abdominal process that may need urgent surgical assessment.

Option by option

  • A. Involuntary guarding with rebound tenderness (correct)

    Correct: guarding and rebound indicate peritoneal irritation.

  • B. Painless ankle oedema

    Ankle oedema is not an abdominal examination sign.

  • C. Soft non-tender abdomen

    A soft nontender abdomen argues against peritonitis.

  • D. Normal visual acuity

    Visual acuity is unrelated to peritoneal disease.

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 A, Involuntary guarding with rebound tenderness. Peritoneal inflammation causes guarding and pain when pressure is released, indicating an acute abdominal process that may need urgent surgical assessment.

Why is "Painless ankle oedema" not the answer?

Ankle oedema is not an abdominal examination sign.

Why is "Soft non-tender abdomen" not the answer?

A soft nontender abdomen argues against peritonitis.

Why is "Normal visual acuity" not the answer?

Visual acuity is unrelated to peritoneal disease.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Acute abdomen in General Surgery. The correct option holds because: Correct: guarding and rebound indicate peritoneal irritation.

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 Acute abdomen?

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.