Infectious disease: malaria: 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.

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General Medicine · Infectious disease: malaria

Sample item

A patient with Plasmodium falciparum malaria has confusion, acidosis and jaundice. How should this be classified?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Severe malaria

Neurologic impairment, acidosis and jaundice are severe-malaria features requiring urgent parenteral treatment and close monitoring.

Option by option

  • A. Uncomplicated malaria

    Uncomplicated illness lacks severe features.

  • B. Severe malaria (correct)

    Correct. Organ dysfunction makes falciparum malaria severe.

  • C. Relapsing vivax malaria only

    Vivax relapse is related to hypnozoites and is not this syndrome.

  • D. Asymptomatic parasitaemia

    This patient is critically ill, not asymptomatic.

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 Medicine questions

Questions about this General Medicine question

What is the answer to this General Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Severe malaria. Neurologic impairment, acidosis and jaundice are severe-malaria features requiring urgent parenteral treatment and close monitoring.

Why is "Uncomplicated malaria" not the answer?

Uncomplicated illness lacks severe features.

Why is "Relapsing vivax malaria only" not the answer?

Vivax relapse is related to hypnozoites and is not this syndrome.

Why is "Asymptomatic parasitaemia" not the answer?

This patient is critically ill, not asymptomatic.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Infectious disease: malaria in General Medicine. The correct option holds because: Correct. Organ dysfunction makes falciparum malaria severe.

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 Infectious disease: malaria?

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.