Nutrition: therapeutic feeding in severe malnutrition: 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 · Nutrition: therapeutic feeding in severe malnutrition

Sample item

A 2-year-old with severe acute malnutrition is admitted with poor appetite and bilateral pedal oedema. Which feed is used in the initial stabilisation phase?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. F-75

In the stabilisation phase the child's metabolism is fragile, so a low-protein, low-sodium, low-osmolarity feed providing 75 kcal per 100 mL (F-75) is given in frequent small volumes. After appetite returns and oedema begins to resolve, the child moves to F-100 or ready-to-use therapeutic food for catch-up growth.

Option by option

  • A. F-100

    F-100 is energy and protein dense and is for the rehabilitation phase.

  • B. Peanut-based ready-to-use therapeutic food

    Ready-to-use therapeutic food is for children who have regained appetite.

  • C. Undiluted full-cream milk

    Undiluted milk has a high solute load and is unsafe in the stabilisation phase.

  • D. F-75 (correct)

    F-75 is designed for the stabilisation phase of severe malnutrition.

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 PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is D, F-75. In the stabilisation phase the child's metabolism is fragile, so a low-protein, low-sodium, low-osmolarity feed providing 75 kcal per 100 mL (F-75) is given in frequent small volumes.

Why is "F-100" not the answer?

F-100 is energy and protein dense and is for the rehabilitation phase.

Why is "Peanut-based ready-to-use therapeutic food" not the answer?

Ready-to-use therapeutic food is for children who have regained appetite.

Why is "Undiluted full-cream milk" not the answer?

Undiluted milk has a high solute load and is unsafe in the stabilisation phase.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nutrition: therapeutic feeding in severe malnutrition in PSM. After appetite returns and oedema begins to resolve, the child moves to F-100 or ready-to-use therapeutic food for catch-up growth.

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 Nutrition: therapeutic feeding in severe malnutrition?

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.