Emergency and critical care: arsenic poisoning: practice question

A General Medicine 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 Medicine · Emergency and critical care: arsenic poisoning

Sample item

A man has vomiting and watery diarrhoea followed by a painful sensory neuropathy. His breath smells of garlic and nails show transverse white lines. Which chelating agent is used in acute symptomatic poisoning?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Dimercaprol (BAL)

Garlic odour with Mees lines and neuropathy points to arsenic. Dimercaprol, a dithiol chelator, binds arsenic in acute toxicity, and DMSA or DMPS may be used orally afterwards.

Option by option

  • A. Dimercaprol (BAL) (correct)

    Correct. A dithiol chelator binds arsenic.

  • B. Pralidoxime

    Pralidoxime reactivates cholinesterase in organophosphate poisoning.

  • C. Calcium gluconate

    Calcium gluconate treats hypocalcaemia and hyperkalaemic ECG changes.

  • D. Deferoxamine

    Deferoxamine chelates iron.

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 Medicine questions

Questions about this General Medicine question

What is the answer to this General Medicine question?

The best answer is A, Dimercaprol (BAL). Garlic odour with Mees lines and neuropathy points to arsenic.

Why is "Pralidoxime" not the answer?

Pralidoxime reactivates cholinesterase in organophosphate poisoning.

Why is "Calcium gluconate" not the answer?

Calcium gluconate treats hypocalcaemia and hyperkalaemic ECG changes.

Why is "Deferoxamine" not the answer?

Deferoxamine chelates iron.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Emergency and critical care: arsenic poisoning in General Medicine. Dimercaprol, a dithiol chelator, binds arsenic in acute toxicity, and DMSA or DMPS may be used orally afterwards.

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 Emergency and critical care: arsenic poisoning?

For each disease know the classic presentation, the best test, and the first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other General Medicine 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.