Head and neck tumours: nutritional support: 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 · Head and neck tumours: nutritional support

Sample item

A malnourished patient with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer is about to start chemoradiotherapy and has severe dysphagia. Which is the preferred route of feeding if enteral nutrition is required for more than 4 weeks?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Patients with significant dysphagia and weight loss need enteral nutrition, and a gastrostomy is preferred over a nasogastric tube when feeding is expected to last beyond 4 weeks. The gut is used when functional. Gastrostomy is placed before or early in treatment.

Option by option

  • A. Nil by mouth with intravenous fluids

    Starvation worsens outcome.

  • B. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (correct)

    Correct. Gastrostomy is suitable for longer-term enteral feeding.

  • C. Oral supplements only

    Oral supplements are inadequate in severe dysphagia.

  • D. Total parenteral nutrition for the whole treatment

    Parenteral nutrition is reserved for gut failure.

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 ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is B, Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Patients with significant dysphagia and weight loss need enteral nutrition, and a gastrostomy is preferred over a nasogastric tube when feeding is expected to last beyond 4 weeks.

Why is "Nil by mouth with intravenous fluids" not the answer?

Starvation worsens outcome.

Why is "Oral supplements only" not the answer?

Oral supplements are inadequate in severe dysphagia.

Why is "Total parenteral nutrition for the whole treatment" not the answer?

Parenteral nutrition is reserved for gut failure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck tumours: nutritional support in ENT. The gut is used when functional. Gastrostomy is placed before or early in treatment.

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 Head and neck tumours: nutritional support?

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.