Trauma and burns: cervical spine clearance: 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 · Trauma and burns: cervical spine clearance

Sample item

Which finding stops a trauma patient from being cleared of cervical spine injury on clinical grounds under the NEXUS criteria?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Intoxication

The NEXUS criteria are midline cervical tenderness, focal neurological deficit, altered alertness, intoxication and a painful distracting injury. Age and mechanism belong to the Canadian C-spine rule. A minor abrasion is not distracting.

Option by option

  • A. Fall from a height

    Dangerous mechanism is a Canadian rule item and not part of NEXUS.

  • B. Intoxication (correct)

    Correct. Intoxication is one of the five NEXUS criteria.

  • C. Isolated forearm abrasion

    A minor abrasion is not a painful distracting injury.

  • D. Age over 65 years

    Age over 65 is a Canadian C-spine rule criterion, not NEXUS.

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 General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Intoxication. The NEXUS criteria are midline cervical tenderness, focal neurological deficit, altered alertness, intoxication and a painful distracting injury.

Why is "Fall from a height" not the answer?

Dangerous mechanism is a Canadian rule item and not part of NEXUS.

Why is "Isolated forearm abrasion" not the answer?

A minor abrasion is not a painful distracting injury.

Why is "Age over 65 years" not the answer?

Age over 65 is a Canadian C-spine rule criterion, not NEXUS.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Trauma and burns: cervical spine clearance in General Surgery. Age and mechanism belong to the Canadian C-spine rule. A minor abrasion is not distracting.

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 Trauma and burns: cervical spine clearance?

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.