Perioperative care: hypomagnesaemia: 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 · Perioperative care: hypomagnesaemia

Sample item

A patient with a high-output ileostomy has persistent hypokalaemia and hypocalcaemia despite repeated potassium and calcium replacement. Which additional measure is most likely to correct them?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Replace magnesium

Stoma losses deplete magnesium. Low magnesium causes renal potassium wasting and impairs PTH secretion and action, so potassium and calcium stay low until magnesium is replaced.

Option by option

  • A. Replace magnesium (correct)

    Correct. Replacing magnesium corrects refractory hypokalaemia and hypocalcaemia.

  • B. Give more potassium chloride alone

    Potassium alone will fail while magnesium is low.

  • C. Give oral calcium without further testing

    Calcium alone does not fix the underlying magnesium deficiency.

  • D. Restrict sodium intake

    Sodium restriction would worsen stomal salt losses.

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 A, Replace magnesium. Stoma losses deplete magnesium.

Why is "Give more potassium chloride alone" not the answer?

Potassium alone will fail while magnesium is low.

Why is "Give oral calcium without further testing" not the answer?

Calcium alone does not fix the underlying magnesium deficiency.

Why is "Restrict sodium intake" not the answer?

Sodium restriction would worsen stomal salt losses.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Perioperative care: hypomagnesaemia in General Surgery. Low magnesium causes renal potassium wasting and impairs PTH secretion and action, so potassium and calcium stay low until magnesium is replaced.

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 Perioperative care: hypomagnesaemia?

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.