Injuries: 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.

Try it

Forensic Medicine · Injuries

Sample item

A charred body is brought from a house fire. Which combination best indicates that the person was alive when the fire started?

ASkin splitting over the limbsBSoot in the trachea and bronchi with raised carboxyhaemoglobinCExtradural collection of heat haematomaDHeat fractures of the skull with a pugilistic posture

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Soot in the trachea and bronchi with raised carboxyhaemoglobin

Soot below the vocal cords and carboxyhaemoglobin in blood show that the person breathed during the fire. Pugilistic posture, skin splitting and heat haematoma (extradural, brittle and honeycombed) arise from heat on a dead body and do not prove life.

Option by option

A. Skin splitting over the limbs
Skin splitting results from heat and occurs in dead bodies.
B. Soot in the trachea and bronchi with raised carboxyhaemoglobin (correct)
Correct. Inhalation of smoke and carbon monoxide proves respiration during fire.
C. Extradural collection of heat haematoma
A heat haematoma forms from heat on a dead body and is not evidence of life.
D. Heat fractures of the skull with a pugilistic posture
Pugilistic attitude results from heat coagulation of muscle and occurs after death too.

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.

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Soot in the trachea and bronchi with raised carboxyhaemoglobin. Soot below the vocal cords and carboxyhaemoglobin in blood show that the person breathed during the fire.

Why is "Skin splitting over the limbs" not the answer?

Skin splitting results from heat and occurs in dead bodies.

Why is "Extradural collection of heat haematoma" not the answer?

A heat haematoma forms from heat on a dead body and is not evidence of life.

Why is "Heat fractures of the skull with a pugilistic posture" not the answer?

Pugilistic attitude results from heat coagulation of muscle and occurs after death too.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries in Forensic Medicine. Pugilistic posture, skin splitting and heat haematoma (extradural, brittle and honeycombed) arise from heat on a dead body and do not prove life.

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 Injuries?

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.