Question

Assertion (A): Secondary haemorrhage occurs 7 to 14 days after an operation.

Reason (R): Haemorrhage is due to the slipping of a ligature or dislodgement of a clot.

• A. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
• C. A is true but R is false
• D. A is false but R is true

Hint:

Secondary haemorrhage is caused by infection eroding a vessel, not by a slipped ligature.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

This question separates the timing of secondary haemorrhage from its actual cause.

1. Timing (the assertion): Surgical bleeding is grouped by when it happens. Secondary haemorrhage is the bleed that shows up roughly 7 to 14 days after the operation, once the patient seemed to be recovering well. This timing matches the assertion, so it is true.
2. Suggested cause (the reason): A slipped ligature or a clot that comes loose is what causes bleeding in the first 24 hours after surgery, known as reactionary haemorrhage, often linked to a rise in blood pressure as anaesthesia wears off.
3. Actual cause of secondary haemorrhage: By the time a week or two has passed, the real driver of bleeding is wound infection. Pus and inflammation slowly weaken the wall of a nearby vessel until it erodes and bleeds. This is very different from a slipped ligature.

So the reason given describes reactionary haemorrhage, not secondary haemorrhage, which makes the reason false while the assertion about timing stays correct.

Let's summarize:

• Reactionary haemorrhage is early and caused by a slipped ligature or dislodged clot.
• Secondary haemorrhage is later, around 7 to 14 days, and caused by infection eroding a vessel.

So A is true but R is false.