Vascular surgery: 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 · Vascular surgery

Sample item

A 60-year-old woman has a shallow, irregular ulcer above the medial malleolus with surrounding pigmentation and lipodermatosclerosis. Pulses are palpable. Before compression bandaging, which test is essential?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Ankle-brachial pressure index

The picture is a venous ulcer, and compression therapy is the mainstay of management. Because compression can cause ischaemia in a limb with arterial disease, the ankle-brachial pressure index must be checked first, with full compression used if the index is above about 0.8. Venous duplex defines the reflux.

Option by option

  • A. Ankle-brachial pressure index (correct)

    Correct. ABPI excludes arterial insufficiency before compression.

  • B. D-dimer

    D-dimer is for suspected acute thrombosis, not a chronic ulcer.

  • C. Serum cholesterol

    Cholesterol does not guide the decision on compression.

  • D. Nerve conduction studies

    Nerve conduction studies are for neuropathy.

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, Ankle-brachial pressure index. The picture is a venous ulcer, and compression therapy is the mainstay of management.

Why is "D-dimer" not the answer?

D-dimer is for suspected acute thrombosis, not a chronic ulcer.

Why is "Serum cholesterol" not the answer?

Cholesterol does not guide the decision on compression.

Why is "Nerve conduction studies" not the answer?

Nerve conduction studies are for neuropathy.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vascular surgery in General Surgery. Because compression can cause ischaemia in a limb with arterial disease, the ankle-brachial pressure index must be checked first, with full compression used if the index is above about 0.8. Venous duplex defines the reflux.

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 Vascular surgery?

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.