Urology: acute bacterial prostatitis: 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 · Urology: acute bacterial prostatitis

Sample item

A 40-year-old man has fever, perineal pain, dysuria and a tender, swollen, warm prostate on rectal examination. Which of the following should be avoided?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Vigorous prostatic massage

Prostatic massage in acute prostatitis can trigger bacteraemia and septic shock. Management includes urine and blood cultures, appropriate antibiotics for several weeks, and analgesia. A suprapubic catheter is preferred to a urethral one if retention occurs.

Option by option

  • A. Oral fluoroquinolone

    A fluoroquinolone achieves good prostatic penetration and is a standard choice.

  • B. Urine culture before antibiotics

    A urine culture before antibiotics is appropriate to guide therapy.

  • C. Suprapubic catheter if urinary retention develops

    A suprapubic catheter is a safe way of draining retention in acute prostatitis.

  • D. Vigorous prostatic massage (correct)

    Correct. Massage can seed bacteria into the bloodstream and should be avoided.

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 General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is D, Vigorous prostatic massage. Prostatic massage in acute prostatitis can trigger bacteraemia and septic shock.

Why is "Oral fluoroquinolone" not the answer?

A fluoroquinolone achieves good prostatic penetration and is a standard choice.

Why is "Urine culture before antibiotics" not the answer?

A urine culture before antibiotics is appropriate to guide therapy.

Why is "Suprapubic catheter if urinary retention develops" not the answer?

A suprapubic catheter is a safe way of draining retention in acute prostatitis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Urology: acute bacterial prostatitis in General Surgery. Management includes urine and blood cultures, appropriate antibiotics for several weeks, and analgesia. A suprapubic catheter is preferred to a urethral one if retention occurs.

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 Urology: acute bacterial prostatitis?

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.