Perioperative care: beta-blockers before surgery: 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 · Perioperative care: beta-blockers before surgery

Sample item

A 62-year-old man takes atenolol long term for hypertension and is listed for elective hernia repair. What is the correct perioperative advice?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Continue the beta-blocker, including on the morning of surgery

Patients on long-term beta-blockers should continue them through the perioperative period, because abrupt withdrawal causes rebound tachycardia, hypertension and ischaemia. Starting a high dose of a new beta-blocker on the day of surgery is however harmful.

Option by option

  • A. Stop it 48 hours before surgery

    Stopping 48 hours before surgery risks rebound hypertension and arrhythmia.

  • B. Replace it with a diuretic for surgery

    Substituting a diuretic offers no protection and risks volume depletion during surgery.

  • C. Continue the beta-blocker, including on the morning of surgery (correct)

    Correct. Continuing chronic beta-blockers avoids rebound tachycardia and myocardial ischaemia.

  • D. Stop it one week before surgery

    Stopping one week before is also harmful for the same reason.

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 General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Continue the beta-blocker, including on the morning of surgery. Patients on long-term beta-blockers should continue them through the perioperative period, because abrupt withdrawal causes rebound tachycardia, hypertension and ischaemia.

Why is "Stop it 48 hours before surgery" not the answer?

Stopping 48 hours before surgery risks rebound hypertension and arrhythmia.

Why is "Replace it with a diuretic for surgery" not the answer?

Substituting a diuretic offers no protection and risks volume depletion during surgery.

Why is "Stop it one week before surgery" not the answer?

Stopping one week before is also harmful for the same reason.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Perioperative care: beta-blockers before surgery in General Surgery. Starting a high dose of a new beta-blocker on the day of surgery is however harmful.

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 Perioperative care: beta-blockers before surgery?

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.