Complications and emergencies: managing post-obstruction oedema: practice question

A Anaesthesia 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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Anaesthesia · Complications and emergencies: managing post-obstruction oedema

Sample item

A 20-year-old develops negative-pressure pulmonary oedema after post-extubation laryngospasm. He is alert, haemodynamically stable and has an SpO2 of 88 percent on a face mask. Which management is most appropriate?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. CPAP or PEEP with oxygen and supportive care

Negative-pressure oedema is a self-limiting, non-cardiogenic condition. Treatment is oxygen, positive airway pressure (CPAP or PEEP) and supportive care, with ventilation if needed, and most patients recover within 12 to 24 hours.

Option by option

  • A. CPAP or PEEP with oxygen and supportive care (correct)

    Correct. Positive airway pressure with oxygen supports gas exchange while the leaked alveolar fluid is cleared, and recovery is usually rapid.

  • B. Bronchoscopic lavage with broad-spectrum antibiotic cover

    There is no infection or inhaled foreign material to wash out, so lavage and antibiotics add risk without benefit.

  • C. High-dose intravenous steroids with a prophylactic antibiotic

    Steroids and antibiotics do not change the course of a mechanical pressure injury of the alveolar capillaries.

  • D. Rapid crystalloid loading to correct the intravascular deficit

    Fluid loading would worsen the oedema; the problem is alveolar fluid, not an intravascular deficit.

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 Anaesthesia questions

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is A, CPAP or PEEP with oxygen and supportive care. Negative-pressure oedema is a self-limiting, non-cardiogenic condition.

Why is "Bronchoscopic lavage with broad-spectrum antibiotic cover" not the answer?

There is no infection or inhaled foreign material to wash out, so lavage and antibiotics add risk without benefit.

Why is "High-dose intravenous steroids with a prophylactic antibiotic" not the answer?

Steroids and antibiotics do not change the course of a mechanical pressure injury of the alveolar capillaries.

Why is "Rapid crystalloid loading to correct the intravascular deficit" not the answer?

Fluid loading would worsen the oedema; the problem is alveolar fluid, not an intravascular deficit.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Complications and emergencies: managing post-obstruction oedema in Anaesthesia. Treatment is oxygen, positive airway pressure (CPAP or PEEP) and supportive care, with ventilation if needed, and most patients recover within 12 to 24 hours.

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 Complications and emergencies: managing post-obstruction oedema?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia 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.