Perioperative care: choice of skin antiseptic: 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 · Perioperative care: choice of skin antiseptic

Sample item

Trials in clean-contaminated surgery have compared skin preparations to reduce surgical site infection. Which preparation gave fewer infections?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Chlorhexidine in alcohol

Chlorhexidine in alcohol gives rapid, persistent antisepsis, and in randomised trials it reduced surgical site infection compared with aqueous povidone-iodine. The skin should be allowed to dry fully before diathermy to avoid fire.

Option by option

  • A. Chlorhexidine in alcohol (correct)

    Correct. Chlorhexidine-alcohol has residual activity and lowered infection rates in trials.

  • B. Plain soap and water scrub

    Soap and water lacks reliable antiseptic activity for skin preparation.

  • C. Aqueous povidone-iodine

    Aqueous povidone-iodine was inferior to chlorhexidine-alcohol in comparative trials.

  • D. Aqueous cetrimide

    Aqueous cetrimide is a weak antiseptic and not a standard skin preparation for surgery.

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 General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Chlorhexidine in alcohol. Chlorhexidine in alcohol gives rapid, persistent antisepsis, and in randomised trials it reduced surgical site infection compared with aqueous povidone-iodine.

Why is "Plain soap and water scrub" not the answer?

Soap and water lacks reliable antiseptic activity for skin preparation.

Why is "Aqueous povidone-iodine" not the answer?

Aqueous povidone-iodine was inferior to chlorhexidine-alcohol in comparative trials.

Why is "Aqueous cetrimide" not the answer?

Aqueous cetrimide is a weak antiseptic and not a standard skin preparation for surgery.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Perioperative care: choice of skin antiseptic in General Surgery. The skin should be allowed to dry fully before diathermy to avoid fire.

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 Perioperative care: choice of skin antiseptic?

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.