Wound management: tetanus: 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 · Wound management: tetanus

Sample item

A patient with a dirty puncture wound has an incomplete tetanus immunization history. What is the appropriate preventive principle?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Provide wound care and indicated tetanus vaccination with immunoglobulin when appropriate

Tetanus prevention depends on wound classification and prior vaccination. Proper irrigation and debridement plus risk-based vaccination and immunoglobulin prevent disease before symptoms develop.

Option by option

  • A. Provide wound care and indicated tetanus vaccination with immunoglobulin when appropriate (correct)

    Correct. Prevention combines wound care with indicated active and passive immunization.

  • B. Close the wound without cleaning

    Contaminated puncture wounds need thorough cleaning.

  • C. Wait for muscle spasm before acting

    Prophylaxis must precede symptomatic tetanus.

  • D. Give antibiotics only and ignore immunization

    Antibiotics do not replace tetanus prophylaxis.

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 A, Provide wound care and indicated tetanus vaccination with immunoglobulin when appropriate. Tetanus prevention depends on wound classification and prior vaccination.

Why is "Close the wound without cleaning" not the answer?

Contaminated puncture wounds need thorough cleaning.

Why is "Wait for muscle spasm before acting" not the answer?

Prophylaxis must precede symptomatic tetanus.

Why is "Give antibiotics only and ignore immunization" not the answer?

Antibiotics do not replace tetanus prophylaxis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Wound management: tetanus in General Surgery. Proper irrigation and debridement plus risk-based vaccination and immunoglobulin prevent disease before symptoms develop.

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 Wound management: tetanus?

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.