Complications, recovery, and safety culture: 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.

Try it

Anaesthesia · Complications, recovery, and safety culture: curriculum recognition

Sample item

Two days after a long supine operation with the arms tucked at the sides in pronation, a man has tingling in the little finger and weak finger abduction. Sensation over the medial forearm is normal. Which nerve is most likely involved?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Ulnar nerve at the elbow

The ulnar nerve is the nerve most often reported injured perioperatively, from compression in the cubital tunnel at the elbow. Padding the elbow and keeping the forearm supinated or neutral reduce risk. Sparing of the medial forearm places the lesion at the elbow rather than in the plexus.

Option by option

  • A. Radial nerve at the spiral groove

    Radial injury causes wrist drop and sensory loss over the dorsum of the hand and thumb web.

  • B. Lower trunk of the brachial plexus

    A lower trunk lesion would also numb the medial forearm and weaken the thumb muscles.

  • C. Ulnar nerve at the elbow (correct)

    Correct. Little finger sensory loss and weak finger abduction with a normal medial forearm point to the ulnar nerve at the elbow.

  • D. Median nerve at the wrist

    Median compression at the wrist affects the thumb, index and middle fingers.

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 Anaesthesia questions

Questions about this Anaesthesia question

What is the answer to this Anaesthesia question?

The best answer is C, Ulnar nerve at the elbow. The ulnar nerve is the nerve most often reported injured perioperatively, from compression in the cubital tunnel at the elbow.

Why is "Radial nerve at the spiral groove" not the answer?

Radial injury causes wrist drop and sensory loss over the dorsum of the hand and thumb web.

Why is "Lower trunk of the brachial plexus" not the answer?

A lower trunk lesion would also numb the medial forearm and weaken the thumb muscles.

Why is "Median nerve at the wrist" not the answer?

Median compression at the wrist affects the thumb, index and middle fingers.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Complications, recovery, and safety culture: curriculum recognition in Anaesthesia. Padding the elbow and keeping the forearm supinated or neutral reduce risk. Sparing of the medial forearm places the lesion at the elbow rather than in the plexus.

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 Complications, recovery, and safety culture: 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.