Communicable diseases: hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis: practice question

A PSM 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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PSM · Communicable diseases: hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis

Sample item

A health worker who never received hepatitis B vaccine has a needle-stick injury from an HBsAg-positive patient. What prophylaxis is appropriate?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Hepatitis B immunoglobulin plus the first dose of vaccine

An unvaccinated person exposed to a source positive for HBsAg needs immediate passive protection with HBIG and active immunisation with the vaccine series started at the same time, at different sites. Vaccine alone is too slow. Antivirals are not used for prophylaxis.

Option by option

  • A. Oral tenofovir for 28 days

    Antiviral drugs are not standard prophylaxis for hepatitis B exposure.

  • B. Hepatitis B immunoglobulin plus the first dose of vaccine (correct)

    Correct. HBIG gives immediate protection and the vaccine gives lasting immunity.

  • C. Immunoglobulin alone

    Immunoglobulin alone gives only short-lived passive immunity.

  • D. Vaccine series alone

    Vaccine alone is slow to produce protective antibody after a high-risk exposure.

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 PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is B, Hepatitis B immunoglobulin plus the first dose of vaccine. An unvaccinated person exposed to a source positive for HBsAg needs immediate passive protection with HBIG and active immunisation with the vaccine series started at the same time, at different sites.

Why is "Oral tenofovir for 28 days" not the answer?

Antiviral drugs are not standard prophylaxis for hepatitis B exposure.

Why is "Immunoglobulin alone" not the answer?

Immunoglobulin alone gives only short-lived passive immunity.

Why is "Vaccine series alone" not the answer?

Vaccine alone is slow to produce protective antibody after a high-risk exposure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Communicable diseases: hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis in PSM. Vaccine alone is too slow. Antivirals are not used for prophylaxis.

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 Communicable diseases: hepatitis B post-exposure prophylaxis?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM 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.