Medicolegal investigation: practice question

A Forensic Medicine 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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Forensic Medicine · Medicolegal investigation

Sample item

What is the principal purpose of a medicolegal autopsy in a suspicious or unexplained death?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Establish cause and manner of death

A medicolegal autopsy documents injuries and disease, collects relevant specimens, and assists the investigating authority in determining cause and manner of death in accordance with the law.

Option by option

  • A. Provide routine health screening

    Health screening is a service for living patients, not an autopsy purpose.

  • B. Determine blood group for transfusion

    Postmortem blood grouping is not the primary objective of a medicolegal autopsy.

  • C. Establish cause and manner of death (correct)

    Correct: establishing cause and manner of death is the central forensic purpose.

  • D. Prescribe treatment for relatives

    Autopsy findings do not authorize treatment prescriptions for relatives.

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 Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, Establish cause and manner of death. A medicolegal autopsy documents injuries and disease, collects relevant specimens, and assists the investigating authority in determining cause and manner of death in accordance with the law.

Why is "Provide routine health screening" not the answer?

Health screening is a service for living patients, not an autopsy purpose.

Why is "Determine blood group for transfusion" not the answer?

Postmortem blood grouping is not the primary objective of a medicolegal autopsy.

Why is "Prescribe treatment for relatives" not the answer?

Autopsy findings do not authorize treatment prescriptions for relatives.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medicolegal investigation in Forensic Medicine. The correct option holds because: Correct: establishing cause and manner of death is the central forensic purpose.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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 Medicolegal investigation?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine 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.