Monitoring and anaesthesia workstation: curriculum recognition: 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.

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Anaesthesia · Monitoring and anaesthesia workstation: curriculum recognition

Sample item

A patient with an upper arm circumference of 40 cm has a non-invasive blood pressure of 172/104 mmHg on a standard adult cuff, while an arterial line shows 138/82 mmHg. What is the most likely explanation?

ACuff placed above the level of the heartBCuff deflated too quicklyCCuff too wide for the armDCuff too narrow for the arm

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Cuff too narrow for the arm

A cuff that is too narrow does not transmit pressure evenly to the artery, so the reading is falsely high. The cuff width should be about 40% of the arm circumference, with the bladder encircling at least 80% of the arm. Too wide a cuff, rapid deflation and a high arm all give falsely low values.

Option by option

A. Cuff placed above the level of the heart
A limb above heart level reads lower because of hydrostatic pressure.
B. Cuff deflated too quickly
Rapid deflation tends to give inaccurate and low systolic readings.
C. Cuff too wide for the arm
A cuff that is too wide underestimates blood pressure.
D. Cuff too narrow for the arm (correct)
Correct. A narrow cuff overestimates blood pressure.

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.

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is D, Cuff too narrow for the arm. A cuff that is too narrow does not transmit pressure evenly to the artery, so the reading is falsely high.

Why is "Cuff placed above the level of the heart" not the answer?

A limb above heart level reads lower because of hydrostatic pressure.

Why is "Cuff deflated too quickly" not the answer?

Rapid deflation tends to give inaccurate and low systolic readings.

Why is "Cuff too wide for the arm" not the answer?

A cuff that is too wide underestimates blood pressure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Monitoring and anaesthesia workstation: curriculum recognition in Anaesthesia. The cuff width should be about 40% of the arm circumference, with the bladder encircling at least 80% of the arm. Too wide a cuff, rapid deflation and a high arm all give falsely low values.

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 Monitoring and anaesthesia workstation: curriculum recognition?

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.