Thyroid drugs: thionamides: practice question

A Pharmacology 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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Pharmacology · Thyroid drugs: thionamides

Sample item

A patient taking methimazole reports fever and a sore throat. What urgent investigation is indicated?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Complete blood count with differential

Methimazole can cause abrupt agranulocytosis. Fever or sore throat requires the drug to be stopped and an urgent neutrophil count obtained.

Option by option

  • A. Urinary metanephrines

    Metanephrines investigate catecholamine excess, not drug-induced agranulocytosis.

  • B. Complete blood count with differential (correct)

    Correct. The key concern is potentially life-threatening neutropenia.

  • C. Serum digoxin concentration

    Digoxin monitoring is unrelated to this presentation.

  • D. Direct Coombs test

    A Coombs test assesses immune haemolysis.

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 Pharmacology question

What is the answer to this Pharmacology question?

The best answer is B, Complete blood count with differential. Methimazole can cause abrupt agranulocytosis.

Why is "Urinary metanephrines" not the answer?

Metanephrines investigate catecholamine excess, not drug-induced agranulocytosis.

Why is "Serum digoxin concentration" not the answer?

Digoxin monitoring is unrelated to this presentation.

Why is "Direct Coombs test" not the answer?

A Coombs test assesses immune haemolysis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thyroid drugs: thionamides in Pharmacology. Fever or sore throat requires the drug to be stopped and an urgent neutrophil count obtained.

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 Thyroid drugs: thionamides?

Learn drugs as classes, then the exception in each class that an examiner would pick. Then use the flashcards and the other Pharmacology 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.