Infectious diseases: infective diarrhea: 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 diseases: infective diarrhea

Sample item

A patient develops profuse watery diarrhea after recent broad-spectrum antibiotics, with fever and abdominal pain. What organism should be suspected?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Clostridioides difficile

Antibiotic exposure disrupts normal colonic flora and predisposes to C. difficile infection, ranging from diarrhea to colitis and toxic megacolon. Diagnosis and treatment depend on severity and local testing guidance.

Option by option

  • A. Helicobacter pylori

    H. pylori causes gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

  • B. Clostridioides difficile (correct)

    Correct. Recent antibiotic exposure is a major clue for C. difficile.

  • C. Streptococcus pneumoniae

    S. pneumoniae causes respiratory and invasive infections.

  • D. Vibrio cholerae only

    Cholera causes profuse watery diarrhea but is linked to contaminated water and epidemics.

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, Clostridioides difficile. Antibiotic exposure disrupts normal colonic flora and predisposes to C.

Why is "Helicobacter pylori" not the answer?

H. pylori causes gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.

Why is "Streptococcus pneumoniae" not the answer?

S. pneumoniae causes respiratory and invasive infections.

Why is "Vibrio cholerae only" not the answer?

Cholera causes profuse watery diarrhea but is linked to contaminated water and epidemics.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Infectious diseases: infective diarrhea in General Medicine. difficile infection, ranging from diarrhea to colitis and toxic megacolon. Diagnosis and treatment depend on severity and local testing guidance.

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 diseases: infective diarrhea?

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.