Communicable diseases: chickenpox exposure in pregnancy: practice question

A PSM 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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PSM · Communicable diseases: chickenpox exposure in pregnancy

Sample item

A pregnant woman at 20 weeks has no history of chickenpox and tests negative for varicella IgG. She had face-to-face contact with a household member who developed chickenpox 3 days ago. What is the best management?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Give varicella zoster immunoglobulin within 10 days of exposure

A non-immune pregnant woman exposed to varicella should receive varicella zoster immunoglobulin as soon as possible and within 10 days of exposure to reduce the risk of severe maternal disease. Live vaccines are contraindicated in pregnancy. Antiviral therapy is started if she develops disease.

Option by option

  • A. Give a live varicella vaccine now

    A live vaccine is contraindicated in pregnancy and does not act fast enough after exposure.

  • B. Give oral acyclovir daily for 3 months

    Long prophylactic acyclovir is not the standard; antiviral treatment is for established disease.

  • C. Wait and treat only if she develops rash

    Waiting risks varicella pneumonia, which is more severe in pregnant women.

  • D. Give varicella zoster immunoglobulin within 10 days of exposure (correct)

    Correct. Passive immunisation is the recommended post-exposure step in pregnancy.

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 PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is D, Give varicella zoster immunoglobulin within 10 days of exposure. A non-immune pregnant woman exposed to varicella should receive varicella zoster immunoglobulin as soon as possible and within 10 days of exposure to reduce the risk of severe maternal disease.

Why is "Give a live varicella vaccine now" not the answer?

A live vaccine is contraindicated in pregnancy and does not act fast enough after exposure.

Why is "Give oral acyclovir daily for 3 months" not the answer?

Long prophylactic acyclovir is not the standard; antiviral treatment is for established disease.

Why is "Wait and treat only if she develops rash" not the answer?

Waiting risks varicella pneumonia, which is more severe in pregnant women.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Communicable diseases: chickenpox exposure in pregnancy in PSM. Live vaccines are contraindicated in pregnancy. Antiviral therapy is started if she develops disease.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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 Communicable diseases: chickenpox exposure in pregnancy?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM 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.