General Surgery Practice Questions

Q: A 58-year-old diabetic man presents with fever and a swollen, red foot. X-ray shows gas in soft tissues. Blood glucose is 25 mmol/L. What is the most appropriate immediate management?

Urgent surgical debridement. ***Urgent surgical debridement*** - The presence of **gas in soft tissues** on X-ray, combined with fever and a swollen, red foot in a **diabetic patient**, indicates a **necrotizing soft tissue infection** (e.g., necrotizing fasciitis or gas gangrene). - **Urgent surgical debridement** is the most critical immediate intervention to remove necrotic tissue and prevent rapid spread of the infection, which is vital for patient survival. *Oral antibiotics* - Oral antibiotics are **inadequate** for a severe, rapidly progressing infection like a necrotizing soft tissue infection. - Relying on oral antibiotics would lead to dangerous delays in appropriate and aggressive treatment, increasing morbidity and mortality. *IV antibiotics alone* - While **broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics** are a crucial component of treatment, they are **insufficient as monotherapy** for necrotizing soft tissue infections. - The infection requires **source control** through surgical removal of devitalized tissue, which antibiotics alone cannot achieve. *Hyperbaric oxygen* - **Hyperbaric oxygen therapy** can be an **adjunctive treatment** for certain severe infections, particularly clostridial myonecrosis (gas gangrene). - However, it is **not the immediate primary management**; **surgical debridement** is paramount and should not be delayed for hyperbaric oxygen. *Amputation* - **Amputation** is a **definitive measure** reserved for cases of overwhelming, irreversible tissue destruction or uncontrolled infection despite aggressive surgical and medical management. - It is **premature** as the immediate initial management; the goal is to perform debridement to control the infection and attempt limb salvage first.

Q: A 31-year-old man presents with acute severe testicular pain. The pain started suddenly⁴ hours ago. Doppler ultrasound shows absent blood flow. What is the salvage rate if specified?

80-90%. ***80-90%*** - **4 hours** of **testicular torsion** places the patient in a window where the testis is still highly viable, but the rate decreases rapidly after 3 hours due to accumulating **ischemic damage**. - Salvage rates are generally cited as **80-90%** for ischemia lasting between **4 and 8 hours**, indicating a good, but not perfect, chance of testicular viability. * >95%* - This near-perfect salvage rate applies almost exclusively to surgical detorsion performed within the initial **0-3 hours** of symptom onset. - After 4 hours, sufficient irreversible cellular damage, especially to the **germ cells** of the **seminiferous tubules**, usually lowers the overall viability percentage below 95%. *60-70%* - This lower salvage rate is characteristic of torsion lasting between **8 and 12 hours**, where more extensive **irreversible injury** has occurred. - Viability drops further in this window as prolonged ischemia leads to widespread **testicular necrosis**. *40-50%* - This range indicates severe compromise and is associated primarily with presentation times between **12 and 24 hours** from the beginning of acute pain. - When viability is this low, even if the testis is salvaged, resulting **testicular atrophy** is highly probable. * <20%* - This represents a very poor prognosis and is usually seen when **ischemia** has persisted for more than **24 hours**. - At this stage, the testis is typically non-viable, making surgical **orchiectomy** the standard treatment.

Q: A 52-year-old diabetic man presents with a non-healing foot ulcer. ABPI is 0.4. What is the most appropriate management?

Vascular surgery referral. ***Vascular surgery referral***- An **ABPI of 0.4** signifies **severe peripheral arterial disease (PAD)**, often corresponding to **critical limb ischemia (CLI)**, which requires urgent specialist evaluation for revascularization.- The primary objective is to restore adequate blood flow (perfusion) via procedures like **angioplasty** or **bypass surgery** to enable ulcer healing and prevent major limb loss.*Antibiotics alone*- While infection management is crucial, **antibiotics** cannot correct the underlying **ischemia** caused by the severe arterial blockage (ABPI 0.4).- Without improved blood flow, systemic or topical antibiotics will fail to reach effective concentrations in the poorly perfused tissue, rendering the treatment ineffective for healing.*Wound care only*- Basic **wound care** (dressing, debridement) is necessary but will be ineffective as the sole treatment because healing requires sufficient **oxygen and nutrients**, which are severely compromised at this low ABPI.- Focusing purely on local care without addressing the severe **macrovascular disease** will almost guarantee progression to **necrosis** and subsequent amputation.*Amputation*- **Amputation** is a procedure of necessity, usually reserved for cases where revascularization has failed or when there is overwhelming infection or non-salvageable tissue destruction (wet gangrene).- The patient must first be assessed for potential limb salvage through **revascularization** before proceeding directly to amputation.*Hyperbaric oxygen*- **Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)** is an adjunctive treatment that may aid wound healing by increasing tissue oxygenation, but it is not the definitive treatment for structural arterial occlusion.- HBOT is typically applied after **revascularization** has been attempted but is insufficient as the primary management for severe PAD (ABPI 0.4).

Q: A 63-year-old man presents with progressive memory loss and gait disturbance. MRI shows ventricular dilatation. Large-volume lumbar puncture temporarily improves his walking. What is the most appropriate treatment?

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt. ***Ventriculoperitoneal shunt***- This is the definitive treatment for symptomatic **Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH)**, especially after the large-volume lumbar puncture confirms responsiveness.- The **VP shunt** diverts excess cerebrospinal fluid (**CSF**) from the cerebral ventricles into the peritoneal cavity, relieving pressure and potentially reversing the classic triad of gait imbalance, dementia, and urinary incontinence.*Cholinesterase inhibitors*- These medications are the mainstay treatment for **Alzheimer's disease** and other neurodegenerative dementias, intended to boost cholinergic function.- Cholinesterase inhibitors do not address the underlying **CSF dynamics** or ventricular enlargement seen in NPH, rendering them ineffective.*Repeated lumbar punctures*- While a large-volume LP proves reversibility and is part of the diagnostic process, repeated LPs are a temporary and impractical solution for ongoing **CSF drainage**.- This approach carries risks (e.g., infection, post-LP headache) and does not provide the **continuous CSF diversion** required for long-term symptom control in NPH.*Corticosteroids*- **Corticosteroids** are used primarily for conditions involving inflammation, autoimmune processes, or significant brain edema and swelling.- They are not effective because NPH is a mechanistic problem involving impaired **CSF absorption** rather than an inflammatory disorder.*Observation*- **Observation** is inappropriate because NPH is a progressive and treatable condition, unlike most other causes of dementia.- Following confirmation of responsiveness via the LP, timely surgical intervention is necessary to prevent continued and potentially irreversible **neurological deterioration**.

Q: A 63-year-old smoker presents with a 3-month history of hoarseness and weight loss. Laryngoscopy shows a vocal cord mass. What is the most appropriate next investigation?

Biopsy of the lesion. ***Biopsy of the lesion***- This is the essential next step to establish a **definitive tissue diagnosis** (histopathology), which is required to confirm laryngeal carcinoma. - The mass, combined with **hoarseness** (lasting over 2-3 weeks) in a **heavy smoker**, strongly suggests malignancy, mandating immediate histological confirmation before proceeding to staging or treatment.*CT chest*- CT chest is primarily used for **staging**, specifically to look for **pulmonary metastases** or a synchronous primary lung cancer (due to the extensive smoking history).- Staging investigations are typically performed *after* the cancer diagnosis (histopathology) has been confirmed by tissue biopsy.*MRI neck*- MRI provides superior soft tissue detail and is useful for **local staging**, assessing the extent of tumor invasion, particularly into the **thyroid cartilage** or pre-epiglottic space. - Like the CT scan, this is a sophisticated staging investigation performed *after* the initial tissue diagnosis has been obtained to guide definitive treatment planning.*PET scan*- **PET scans** are generally reserved for evaluating distant metastases, recurrence, or mapping unknown primaries, and are not the initial standard diagnostic step for a clinically obvious laryngeal mass. - This investigation is usually performed selectively in cases of advanced disease or when initial staging (CT/MRI) is inconclusive regarding nodal involvement.*Bronchoscopy*- Bronchoscopy is relevant for evaluating the possibility of a **synchronous (second)** primary lung carcinoma, which occurs frequently in heavy smokers (field cancerization). - Focusing on the primary, however, obtaining the definitive diagnosis of the laryngeal mass via **biopsy** remains the immediate priority before investigating secondary disease sites.

Question 1

A 58-year-old diabetic man presents with fever and a swollen, red foot. X-ray shows gas in soft tissues. Blood glucose is 25 mmol/L. What is the most appropriate immediate management?

Accepted Answer

Urgent surgical debridement

Answer

Oral antibiotics

Answer

IV antibiotics alone

Answer

Hyperbaric oxygen

Answer

Amputation

Question 2

A 31-year-old man presents with acute severe testicular pain. The pain started suddenly⁴ hours ago. Doppler ultrasound shows absent blood flow. What is the salvage rate if specified?

Accepted Answer

80-90%

Answer

>95%

Answer

60-70%

Answer

40-50%

Answer

<20%

Question 3

A 52-year-old diabetic man presents with a non-healing foot ulcer. ABPI is 0.4. What is the most appropriate management?

Accepted Answer

Vascular surgery referral

Answer

Antibiotics alone

Answer

Wound care only

Answer

Amputation

Answer

Hyperbaric oxygen

Question 4

A 63-year-old man presents with progressive memory loss and gait disturbance. MRI shows ventricular dilatation. Large-volume lumbar puncture temporarily improves his walking. What is the most appropriate treatment?

Accepted Answer

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Answer

Cholinesterase inhibitors

Answer

Repeated lumbar punctures

Answer

Corticosteroids

Answer

Observation

Question 5

A 63-year-old smoker presents with a 3-month history of hoarseness and weight loss. Laryngoscopy shows a vocal cord mass. What is the most appropriate next investigation?

Accepted Answer

Biopsy of the lesion

Answer

CT chest

Answer

MRI neck

Answer

PET scan

Answer

Bronchoscopy

General Surgery — MCQs

General Surgery — MCQs

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