Labour: prolonged latent phase: practice question

A OBG 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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OBG · Labour: prolonged latent phase

Sample item

A nulliparous woman has had painful irregular contractions for 24 hours with a cervix that is 2 cm dilated, 50 percent effaced, with intact membranes and a reassuring fetal heart rate. What is the best management?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Therapeutic rest with analgesia and sedation, then reassess

A latent phase longer than about 20 hours in a nullipara (14 hours in a multipara) is prolonged, and it does not itself indicate caesarean. Rest with analgesia often resolves it with a woman progressing into active labour after waking, while oxytocin and amniotomy are used if she does not progress. Careful exclusion of malpresentation and disproportion is part of the assessment.

Option by option

  • A. High-dose oxytocin infusion at once

    Oxytocin is considered if rest fails and not as an immediate first step.

  • B. Immediate emergency caesarean section

    A long latent phase alone is not an indication for caesarean.

  • C. Forceps application

    Forceps need full dilatation.

  • D. Therapeutic rest with analgesia and sedation, then reassess (correct)

    Correct. Rest and analgesia is the first step for a prolonged latent phase.

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 OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is D, Therapeutic rest with analgesia and sedation, then reassess. A latent phase longer than about 20 hours in a nullipara (14 hours in a multipara) is prolonged, and it does not itself indicate caesarean.

Why is "High-dose oxytocin infusion at once" not the answer?

Oxytocin is considered if rest fails and not as an immediate first step.

Why is "Immediate emergency caesarean section" not the answer?

A long latent phase alone is not an indication for caesarean.

Why is "Forceps application" not the answer?

Forceps need full dilatation.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Labour: prolonged latent phase in OBG. Rest with analgesia often resolves it with a woman progressing into active labour after waking, while oxytocin and amniotomy are used if she does not progress. Careful exclusion of malpresentation and disproportion is part of the assessment.

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 Labour: prolonged latent phase?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG 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.