Paediatric infections: bacterial tracheitis: practice question

A Pediatrics 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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Pediatrics · Paediatric infections: bacterial tracheitis

Sample item

A 4-year-old with a barking cough and stridor looks toxic with high fever. Nebulised adrenaline and dexamethasone give no relief, and laryngoscopy under care shows thick purulent subglottic secretions. Which organism is the commonest cause?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Staphylococcus aureus

Bacterial tracheitis is a bacterial superinfection of a viral croup, typically with Staphylococcus aureus. The child is toxic, fails to improve with croup therapy and has thick tracheal pus. Management is airway protection and anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.

Option by option

  • A. Corynebacterium diphtheriae

    Diphtheria causes a membrane with bull neck in unimmunised children, not purulent secretions.

  • B. Staphylococcus aureus (correct)

    Correct. S. aureus is the commonest cause of bacterial tracheitis.

  • C. Haemophilus influenzae type b

    Hib causes epiglottitis with drooling and a cherry-red swollen epiglottis.

  • D. Parainfluenza virus

    Parainfluenza causes viral croup, which responds to steroids and adrenaline.

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 Pediatrics question

What is the answer to this Pediatrics question?

The best answer is B, Staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial tracheitis is a bacterial superinfection of a viral croup, typically with Staphylococcus aureus.

Why is "Corynebacterium diphtheriae" not the answer?

Diphtheria causes a membrane with bull neck in unimmunised children, not purulent secretions.

Why is "Haemophilus influenzae type b" not the answer?

Hib causes epiglottitis with drooling and a cherry-red swollen epiglottis.

Why is "Parainfluenza virus" not the answer?

Parainfluenza causes viral croup, which responds to steroids and adrenaline.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Paediatric infections: bacterial tracheitis in Pediatrics. The child is toxic, fails to improve with croup therapy and has thick tracheal pus. Management is airway protection and anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.

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 Paediatric infections: bacterial tracheitis?

Memorise milestones and the vaccine schedule as tables and revise them often. Then use the flashcards and the other Pediatrics 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.