Airway: bronchial foreign body: practice question

A ENT 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.

Try it

ENT · Airway: bronchial foreign body

Sample item

A child with a peanut in the right bronchus has hyperinflation of the right lung and the mediastinum shifts toward the left on expiration. What is the mechanism?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Ball-valve obstruction trapping air in the lung

Air enters on inspiration around the foreign body but cannot leave on expiration, so the affected lung stays inflated and pushes the mediastinum away on expiration (Holzknecht's sign). Complete obstruction causes collapse instead.

Option by option

  • A. Tension pneumothorax

    A tension pneumothorax is a different mechanism.

  • B. Ball-valve obstruction trapping air in the lung (correct)

    Correct. A ball-valve effect causes obstructive emphysema.

  • C. Pleural effusion

    An effusion would opacify the hemithorax.

  • D. Complete obstruction with collapse

    Complete obstruction would collapse the lung and shift the mediastinum toward it.

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 ENT questions

Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is B, Ball-valve obstruction trapping air in the lung. Air enters on inspiration around the foreign body but cannot leave on expiration, so the affected lung stays inflated and pushes the mediastinum away on expiration (Holzknecht's sign).

Why is "Tension pneumothorax" not the answer?

A tension pneumothorax is a different mechanism.

Why is "Pleural effusion" not the answer?

An effusion would opacify the hemithorax.

Why is "Complete obstruction with collapse" not the answer?

Complete obstruction would collapse the lung and shift the mediastinum toward it.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Airway: bronchial foreign body in ENT. Complete obstruction causes collapse instead.

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 Airway: bronchial foreign body?

Learn tuning fork results and audiogram patterns by sketching them. Then use the flashcards and the other ENT 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.