Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: liver trauma: 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 · Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: liver trauma

Sample item

A 20-year-old after a road traffic accident has a grade III liver laceration on contrast CT. His blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg, his pulse is 84 per minute and he has no other injury. What is the management?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Non-operative management with monitoring

Haemodynamically stable patients with liver injuries are managed non-operatively with observation, serial examination and imaging, with angioembolisation if bleeding continues. Laparotomy is for instability or peritonitis.

Option by option

  • A. Immediate laparotomy with packing

    Laparotomy is reserved for the unstable patient.

  • B. Hepatic lobectomy

    Resection is not indicated for a stable laceration and carries high mortality.

  • C. Non-operative management with monitoring (correct)

    Correct. Stable liver injuries are managed non-operatively.

  • D. Diagnostic peritoneal lavage

    Lavage is a diagnostic test and CT has already defined the injury.

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.

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Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Non-operative management with monitoring. Haemodynamically stable patients with liver injuries are managed non-operatively with observation, serial examination and imaging, with angioembolisation if bleeding continues.

Why is "Immediate laparotomy with packing" not the answer?

Laparotomy is reserved for the unstable patient.

Why is "Hepatic lobectomy" not the answer?

Resection is not indicated for a stable laceration and carries high mortality.

Why is "Diagnostic peritoneal lavage" not the answer?

Lavage is a diagnostic test and CT has already defined the injury.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: liver trauma in General Surgery. Laparotomy is for instability or peritonitis.

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 Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: liver trauma?

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.