Vascular surgery: compartment syndrome: 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 · Vascular surgery: compartment syndrome

Sample item

After tibial fracture fixation, a patient has escalating pain despite opioids and severe pain on passive toe extension. Pulses remain palpable. What is the next best action?

AUrgent assessment for compartment syndrome and fasciotomy if confirmedBArrange outpatient physiotherapyCReassure because pulses are presentDApply a tighter circumferential cast

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Urgent assessment for compartment syndrome and fasciotomy if confirmed

Acute compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency; pain out of proportion and pain on passive stretch are early important findings. Palpable pulses do not exclude it because arterial pressure can persist until late.

Option by option

A. Urgent assessment for compartment syndrome and fasciotomy if confirmed (correct)
Correct. Prompt decompression is limb-saving when compartment syndrome is suspected.
B. Arrange outpatient physiotherapy
Delayed outpatient care risks irreversible muscle and nerve injury.
C. Reassure because pulses are present
Pulses may remain present and are a late, unreliable exclusion sign.
D. Apply a tighter circumferential cast
A tighter cast can worsen compartment pressure.

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.

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Urgent assessment for compartment syndrome and fasciotomy if confirmed. Acute compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency; pain out of proportion and pain on passive stretch are early important findings.

Why is "Arrange outpatient physiotherapy" not the answer?

Delayed outpatient care risks irreversible muscle and nerve injury.

Why is "Reassure because pulses are present" not the answer?

Pulses may remain present and are a late, unreliable exclusion sign.

Why is "Apply a tighter circumferential cast" not the answer?

A tighter cast can worsen compartment pressure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vascular surgery: compartment syndrome in General Surgery. Palpable pulses do not exclude it because arterial pressure can persist until late.

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 Vascular surgery: compartment syndrome?

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.