Medical emergencies: hypoglycemia: practice question

A Dentistry 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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Dentistry · Medical emergencies: hypoglycemia

Sample item

During a dental visit, a conscious patient with diabetes becomes sweaty, tremulous, confused, and has low capillary glucose. What is the initial management?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Give rapidly absorbed oral carbohydrate if they can swallow safely

Conscious symptomatic hypoglycemia should be treated promptly with fast-acting oral glucose or carbohydrate when swallowing is safe, followed by reassessment and longer-acting carbohydrate as needed. Severe or unconscious cases need emergency protocols.

Option by option

  • A. Keep the patient fasting

    Fasting prolongs hypoglycemia.

  • B. Give rapidly absorbed oral carbohydrate if they can swallow safely (correct)

    Correct. Rapid carbohydrate corrects conscious hypoglycemia.

  • C. Inject long-acting insulin

    Insulin would worsen low glucose.

  • D. Give a diuretic

    Diuretics have no role.

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 Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is B, Give rapidly absorbed oral carbohydrate if they can swallow safely. Conscious symptomatic hypoglycemia should be treated promptly with fast-acting oral glucose or carbohydrate when swallowing is safe, followed by reassessment and longer-acting carbohydrate as needed.

Why is "Keep the patient fasting" not the answer?

Fasting prolongs hypoglycemia.

Why is "Inject long-acting insulin" not the answer?

Insulin would worsen low glucose.

Why is "Give a diuretic" not the answer?

Diuretics have no role.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical emergencies: hypoglycemia in Dentistry. Severe or unconscious cases need emergency protocols.

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 Medical emergencies: hypoglycemia?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry 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.