Trauma surgery: flail chest: 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 · Trauma surgery: flail chest

Sample item

After blunt thoracic trauma, a patient has a segment of chest wall moving inward on inspiration and outward on expiration. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Flail chest

Flail chest occurs when multiple adjacent ribs are fractured in more than one place, creating a free segment with paradoxical motion. Associated pulmonary contusion often determines respiratory severity.

Option by option

  • A. Flail chest (correct)

    Correct. Paradoxical movement defines a flail segment.

  • B. Cardiac tamponade

    Tamponade causes obstructive shock and raised JVP.

  • C. Simple rib fracture

    A single rib fracture does not create a free chest-wall segment.

  • D. Tension pneumothorax

    Tension pneumothorax causes hemodynamic and respiratory collapse with unilateral absent breath sounds.

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, Flail chest. Flail chest occurs when multiple adjacent ribs are fractured in more than one place, creating a free segment with paradoxical motion.

Why is "Cardiac tamponade" not the answer?

Tamponade causes obstructive shock and raised JVP.

Why is "Simple rib fracture" not the answer?

A single rib fracture does not create a free chest-wall segment.

Why is "Tension pneumothorax" not the answer?

Tension pneumothorax causes hemodynamic and respiratory collapse with unilateral absent breath sounds.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Trauma surgery: flail chest in General Surgery. Associated pulmonary contusion often determines respiratory severity.

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 Trauma surgery: flail chest?

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.