Environmental health: sick building syndrome: 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 · Environmental health: sick building syndrome

Sample item

Employees working in a newly renovated, sealed, air-conditioned office report headache, eye and throat irritation, fatigue and poor concentration. Symptoms improve soon after leaving the building, and investigation finds no specific infection or single cause. Which term describes this?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Sick building syndrome

Sick building syndrome is a set of non-specific symptoms linked to time spent in a building, without a clearly identifiable cause, and relieved on leaving it. Poor ventilation and indoor pollutants contribute. When a specific cause is identified, such as Legionella, it is termed building-related illness.

Option by option

  • A. Building-related illness

    Building-related illness has a clinically defined disease with an identifiable cause, such as Legionnaires' disease.

  • B. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

    Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immune-mediated lung disease from specific inhaled antigens.

  • C. Occupational asthma

    Occupational asthma is a specific airway disease triggered by a workplace sensitiser.

  • D. Sick building syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Non-specific symptoms that settle on leaving the building, with no defined cause, characterise this syndrome.

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, Sick building syndrome. Sick building syndrome is a set of non-specific symptoms linked to time spent in a building, without a clearly identifiable cause, and relieved on leaving it.

Why is "Building-related illness" not the answer?

Building-related illness has a clinically defined disease with an identifiable cause, such as Legionnaires' disease.

Why is "Hypersensitivity pneumonitis" not the answer?

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is an immune-mediated lung disease from specific inhaled antigens.

Why is "Occupational asthma" not the answer?

Occupational asthma is a specific airway disease triggered by a workplace sensitiser.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Environmental health: sick building syndrome in PSM. Poor ventilation and indoor pollutants contribute. When a specific cause is identified, such as Legionella, it is termed building-related illness.

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 Environmental health: sick building syndrome?

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.