Vascular surgery: dry gangrene: 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: dry gangrene

Sample item

A 70-year-old man with atherosclerosis has a shrivelled, black, painless toe with a clear line of demarcation, no pus, and no spreading cellulitis. Which is the most appropriate approach once perfusion has been assessed?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Revascularise if possible and allow demarcation before limited amputation

Dry gangrene from ischaemia without infection is allowed to demarcate while perfusion is improved, then a limited amputation is done at a level that will heal. Emergency proximal amputation is for uncontrolled wet gangrene and sepsis.

Option by option

  • A. Immediate above-knee amputation

    A high amputation is unnecessarily mutilating for dry gangrene of a toe.

  • B. Hyperbaric oxygen as the only treatment

    Hyperbaric oxygen cannot replace revascularisation.

  • C. Broad-spectrum antibiotics alone

    Antibiotics do not restore blood supply in dry gangrene.

  • D. Revascularise if possible and allow demarcation before limited amputation (correct)

    Correct. Improve perfusion and amputate conservatively after demarcation.

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 D, Revascularise if possible and allow demarcation before limited amputation. Dry gangrene from ischaemia without infection is allowed to demarcate while perfusion is improved, then a limited amputation is done at a level that will heal.

Why is "Immediate above-knee amputation" not the answer?

A high amputation is unnecessarily mutilating for dry gangrene of a toe.

Why is "Hyperbaric oxygen as the only treatment" not the answer?

Hyperbaric oxygen cannot replace revascularisation.

Why is "Broad-spectrum antibiotics alone" not the answer?

Antibiotics do not restore blood supply in dry gangrene.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vascular surgery: dry gangrene in General Surgery. Emergency proximal amputation is for uncontrolled wet gangrene and sepsis.

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: dry gangrene?

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.