Gastrointestinal bleeding: 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 · Gastrointestinal bleeding

Sample item

Which stool description suggests upper gastrointestinal bleeding?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Black tarry melaena

Digested blood from upper gastrointestinal bleeding can produce black, tarry, foul-smelling melaena, although iron can also darken stool.

Option by option

  • A. Pale putty-coloured stool from reduced bile pigment

    Pale putty-coloured stool suggests absent bile pigment rather than digested blood.

  • B. Explosive watery stool after acute enteric infection

    Acute watery diarrhoea has an infectious or secretory differential rather than the melaena pattern.

  • C. Black tarry melaena (correct)

    Correct: melaena reflects digested gastrointestinal blood.

  • D. Fresh red blood coating the stool

    Fresh red blood on stool more often suggests a distal colorectal or anal source.

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 General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Black tarry melaena. Digested blood from upper gastrointestinal bleeding can produce black, tarry, foul-smelling melaena, although iron can also darken stool.

Why is "Pale putty-coloured stool from reduced bile pigment" not the answer?

Pale putty-coloured stool suggests absent bile pigment rather than digested blood.

Why is "Explosive watery stool after acute enteric infection" not the answer?

Acute watery diarrhoea has an infectious or secretory differential rather than the melaena pattern.

Why is "Fresh red blood coating the stool" not the answer?

Fresh red blood on stool more often suggests a distal colorectal or anal source.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Gastrointestinal bleeding in General Surgery. The correct option holds because: Correct: melaena reflects digested gastrointestinal blood.

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 Gastrointestinal bleeding?

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.