Ear and audiology: antiviral treatment of congenital CMV hearing loss: 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.

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ENT · Ear and audiology: antiviral treatment of congenital CMV hearing loss

Sample item

A 3-week-old term infant with confirmed congenital cytomegalovirus infection has microcephaly, thrombocytopenia and failed hearing screening with a sensorineural pattern. Which drug is recommended?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Oral valganciclovir

Symptomatic congenital CMV with central nervous system or hearing involvement is treated with valganciclovir for six months, started in the first month. It improves hearing and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Hearing must be monitored lifelong as the loss can be progressive or delayed.

Option by option

  • A. Oral amoxicillin

    Amoxicillin has no antiviral activity.

  • B. Oral valganciclovir (correct)

    Correct. Valganciclovir is given to symptomatic infants with congenital CMV and hearing loss.

  • C. Oral fluconazole

    Fluconazole is an antifungal and has no effect on CMV.

  • D. Intravenous ceftriaxone

    Ceftriaxone treats bacterial infection and does not act on a herpesvirus.

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, Oral valganciclovir. Symptomatic congenital CMV with central nervous system or hearing involvement is treated with valganciclovir for six months, started in the first month.

Why is "Oral amoxicillin" not the answer?

Amoxicillin has no antiviral activity.

Why is "Oral fluconazole" not the answer?

Fluconazole is an antifungal and has no effect on CMV.

Why is "Intravenous ceftriaxone" not the answer?

Ceftriaxone treats bacterial infection and does not act on a herpesvirus.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: antiviral treatment of congenital CMV hearing loss in ENT. It improves hearing and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Hearing must be monitored lifelong as the loss can be progressive or delayed.

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 Ear and audiology: antiviral treatment of congenital CMV hearing loss?

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.