Thanatology: cause, mode and manner of death: 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 · Thanatology: cause, mode and manner of death

Sample item

A man dies of exsanguination after a stab wound to the femoral artery inflicted in a fight. Which statement correctly classifies this death?

ACause is the stab wound, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is homicideBCause is homicide, mode is the stab wound, manner is haemorrhagic shockCCause is homicide, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is the stab woundDCause is haemorrhagic shock, mode is the stab wound, manner is accident

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Cause is the stab wound, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is homicide

The cause of death is the injury or disease that started the fatal sequence, here the stab wound. The mode (or mechanism) is the physiological derangement, here exsanguination causing shock. The manner is how the death came about legally, here homicide, and could also be natural, accidental or suicidal.

Option by option

A. Cause is the stab wound, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is homicide (correct)
Correct. Injury is the cause, shock the mode and homicide the manner.
B. Cause is homicide, mode is the stab wound, manner is haemorrhagic shock
Homicide is a manner of death and cannot be the cause.
C. Cause is homicide, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is the stab wound
The stab wound is the cause, not the manner, and homicide is not a mode.
D. Cause is haemorrhagic shock, mode is the stab wound, manner is accident
This reverses cause and mode and wrongly classifies the manner as accident.

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 A, Cause is the stab wound, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is homicide. The cause of death is the injury or disease that started the fatal sequence, here the stab wound.

Why is "Cause is homicide, mode is the stab wound, manner is haemorrhagic sho…" not the answer?

Homicide is a manner of death and cannot be the cause.

Why is "Cause is homicide, mode is haemorrhagic shock, manner is the stab wou…" not the answer?

The stab wound is the cause, not the manner, and homicide is not a mode.

Why is "Cause is haemorrhagic shock, mode is the stab wound, manner is accide…" not the answer?

This reverses cause and mode and wrongly classifies the manner as accident.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thanatology: cause, mode and manner of death in Forensic Medicine. The mode (or mechanism) is the physiological derangement, here exsanguination causing shock. The manner is how the death came about legally, here homicide, and could also be natural, accidental or suicidal.

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 Thanatology: cause, mode and manner of death?

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.