Endocrine surgery: thyroid: practice question

A General Surgery 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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General Surgery · Endocrine surgery: thyroid

Sample item

Several hours after total thyroidectomy, a patient develops neck swelling, stridor, and respiratory distress. What is the immediate priority?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Open the wound urgently and secure the airway while calling for help

A rapidly expanding post-thyroidectomy neck hematoma can cause catastrophic airway compromise. Immediate decompression of the wound and airway management take priority over diagnostic imaging.

Option by option

  • A. Wait for a routine neck ultrasound

    Imaging delays treatment of an evolving airway emergency.

  • B. Open the wound urgently and secure the airway while calling for help (correct)

    Correct. Urgent decompression can relieve compression while expert airway help is mobilized.

  • C. Give oral calcium and reassess tomorrow

    Hypocalcemia can occur after thyroidectomy but does not explain acute expanding neck swelling and stridor.

  • D. Start thyroid hormone only

    Thyroid hormone does not treat a compressive hematoma.

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 General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Open the wound urgently and secure the airway while calling for help. A rapidly expanding post-thyroidectomy neck hematoma can cause catastrophic airway compromise.

Why is "Wait for a routine neck ultrasound" not the answer?

Imaging delays treatment of an evolving airway emergency.

Why is "Give oral calcium and reassess tomorrow" not the answer?

Hypocalcemia can occur after thyroidectomy but does not explain acute expanding neck swelling and stridor.

Why is "Start thyroid hormone only" not the answer?

Thyroid hormone does not treat a compressive hematoma.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Endocrine surgery: thyroid in General Surgery. Immediate decompression of the wound and airway management take priority over diagnostic imaging.

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 Endocrine surgery: thyroid?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery 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.