General Surgery

20 learning units • 100 chapter sections • 200 explained questions. Assess surgical disease, recognise complications and connect intervention with safe recovery and follow-up.

Original RAHBAR study material for the Year 4 learning pathway. Clinical cases support supervised undergraduate learning. Treatment choices, doses and procedures must follow current local protocols and the responsible clinical team. References & further reading ↓

MODULE 05 / 20

Wounds, Abscesses & Surgical Infection

Distinguish expected healing from infection and recognise when drainage or urgent debridement is required.

Answer all 10 questions, then submit to see your score and explanations. This is a self-study exercise; results are not saved.

Question 01. Which finding distinguishes an abscess from uncomplicated cellulitis most directly? A. Mild redness aloneB. A normal pulseC. A drainable collectionD. A history of itching alone

Question 02. Rapidly progressive pain out of proportion with systemic toxicity suggests what? A. An uncomplicated mature scarB. Simple bruising in every caseC. Necrotising soft-tissue infectionD. Normal postoperative healing

Question 03. Does absence of gas on imaging exclude necrotising infection? A. NoB. Yes, alwaysC. Only if fever is absentD. Yes, when the skin is intact

Question 04. What is a limitation of a superficial wound swab? A. It always identifies all organisms in fasciaB. It replaces clinical assessmentC. It may reflect colonisation rather than the deep pathogenD. It proves no drainage is needed

Question 05. What is important when cellulitis fails to improve as expected? A. Reassess for a collection, alternative diagnosis or resistant organismB. Extend the same treatment indefinitely without reviewC. Stop observations because antibiotics were prescribedD. Assume pain is unrelated

Question 06. Which patient factor can impair wound healing? A. Adequate nutritionB. Pressure reliefC. Good glycaemic managementD. Poor tissue perfusion

Question 07. What is the response to abdominal wound failure with exposed viscera? A. Force the contents back at the bedsideB. Protect the tissues and obtain urgent surgical helpC. Apply tight adhesive closure without reviewD. Arrange routine review next month

Question 08. Why might immediate closure be unsuitable for a contaminated wound? A. Every open wound must be closed immediatelyB. It eliminates all infection riskC. Contamination never affects healingD. It can enclose contamination and increase complications

Question 09. Which prevention practice is appropriate if hair removal is required? A. Routine close razor shaving of every siteB. Shave after wound contamination occursC. Remove hair regardless of procedureD. Use the recommended clipping approach

Question 10. What can prevent healing despite repeated antibiotics? A. Ischaemia or retained foreign materialB. A completed discharge formC. Normal visual acuityD. A resolved remote infection

0 / 10 answered

References & Further Reading

Read the relevant guideline sections alongside these original clinical teaching cases. Local pathways, available services and individual patient factors determine care.

Reference review: 27 September 2026. Consult current local protocols for prescribing, procedures and escalation.