Obstetric emergencies: maternal near miss: practice question

A OBG 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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OBG · Obstetric emergencies: maternal near miss

Sample item

Which of the following best defines a maternal near-miss?

AA woman who nearly died but survived a complication during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of terminationBA woman with antenatal anaemiaCA woman who died after 42 days postpartumDAny woman with a normal delivery

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. A woman who nearly died but survived a complication during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination

WHO defines maternal near-miss as a woman who nearly died but survived a life-threatening complication, identified using clinical, laboratory or management-based criteria such as hysterectomy, ICU admission or transfusion of 5 or more units. Audit of near misses improves care.

Option by option

A. A woman who nearly died but survived a complication during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination (correct)
Correct. This is the WHO definition.
B. A woman with antenatal anaemia
Anaemia alone is not a near-miss.
C. A woman who died after 42 days postpartum
Deaths beyond 42 days are late maternal deaths.
D. Any woman with a normal delivery
A normal delivery is not a near miss.

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.

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is A, A woman who nearly died but survived a complication during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination. WHO defines maternal near-miss as a woman who nearly died but survived a life-threatening complication, identified using clinical, laboratory or management-based criteria such as hysterectomy, ICU admission or transfusion of 5 or more units.

Why is "A woman with antenatal anaemia" not the answer?

Anaemia alone is not a near-miss.

Why is "A woman who died after 42 days postpartum" not the answer?

Deaths beyond 42 days are late maternal deaths.

Why is "Any woman with a normal delivery" not the answer?

A normal delivery is not a near miss.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Obstetric emergencies: maternal near miss in OBG. Audit of near misses improves care.

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 Obstetric emergencies: maternal near miss?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG 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.