Nutrition: scurvy: 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: scurvy

Sample item

A 9-month-old infant fed only boiled cow's milk is irritable, has swollen tender legs held in a frog-leg position, and bleeding gums. X-ray shows a ground-glass appearance of bones. Which vitamin deficiency is responsible?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is needed for hydroxylation of proline and lysine in collagen synthesis, so deficiency causes weak capillaries and bleeding under the periosteum and gums. Infants fed boiled milk lack the vitamin since it is heat labile. Citrus fruits, amla and guava are rich sources.

Option by option

  • A. Vitamin A

    Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness and xerophthalmia.

  • B. Vitamin D

    Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets with widened growth plates and bowing.

  • C. Vitamin C (correct)

    Correct. Infantile scurvy from a vitamin C deficient diet causes subperiosteal haemorrhage and bleeding gums.

  • D. Vitamin K

    Vitamin K deficiency causes bleeding but not painful pseudoparalysis with bone changes.

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 PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, Vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed for hydroxylation of proline and lysine in collagen synthesis, so deficiency causes weak capillaries and bleeding under the periosteum and gums.

Why is "Vitamin A" not the answer?

Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness and xerophthalmia.

Why is "Vitamin D" not the answer?

Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets with widened growth plates and bowing.

Why is "Vitamin K" not the answer?

Vitamin K deficiency causes bleeding but not painful pseudoparalysis with bone changes.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nutrition: scurvy in PSM. Infants fed boiled milk lack the vitamin since it is heat labile. Citrus fruits, amla and guava are rich sources.

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: scurvy?

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.