Airway management: timing of tracheostomy: practice question

A Anaesthesia 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

Anaesthesia · Airway management: timing of tracheostomy

Sample item

A patient with Guillain-Barre syndrome has been ventilated through an oral tracheal tube for 12 days and is not expected to wean for several more weeks. What is the best airway plan?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Perform a tracheostomy

When prolonged ventilation is expected beyond about 10 to 14 days, tracheostomy is preferred because it reduces laryngeal injury, lowers dead space and sedation needs, and eases weaning and nursing. Cricothyroidotomy is an emergency access and not a long-term airway.

Option by option

  • A. Continue the oral tube for another month

    Continuing the oral tube risks laryngeal and subglottic damage.

  • B. Change to a nasotracheal tube

    A nasotracheal tube is not better for long-term laryngeal injury and risks sinusitis.

  • C. Perform a tracheostomy (correct)

    Correct. Tracheostomy is preferred when ventilation will be prolonged.

  • D. Perform a cricothyroidotomy

    Cricothyroidotomy is reserved for emergencies.

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 Anaesthesia questions

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is C, Perform a tracheostomy. When prolonged ventilation is expected beyond about 10 to 14 days, tracheostomy is preferred because it reduces laryngeal injury, lowers dead space and sedation needs, and eases weaning and nursing.

Why is "Continue the oral tube for another month" not the answer?

Continuing the oral tube risks laryngeal and subglottic damage.

Why is "Change to a nasotracheal tube" not the answer?

A nasotracheal tube is not better for long-term laryngeal injury and risks sinusitis.

Why is "Perform a cricothyroidotomy" not the answer?

Cricothyroidotomy is reserved for emergencies.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Airway management: timing of tracheostomy in Anaesthesia. Cricothyroidotomy is an emergency access and not a long-term airway.

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 management: timing of tracheostomy?

Make a table of each agent, its key advantage and its main side effect. Then use the flashcards and the other Anaesthesia 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.