Injuries: blast injury: 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: blast injury

Sample item

A survivor of a bomb explosion in a closed room has ear pain, hearing loss, breathlessness and frothy blood-stained sputum, but no external wounds. Which type of blast injury is responsible?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Primary blast injury, caused by the overpressure wave acting on air-containing organs

The primary blast injury is caused by the pressure wave and affects gas-filled organs: the tympanic membrane (most sensitive), the lungs (blast lung with haemorrhage and oedema) and the bowel. External signs may be absent. Secondary injuries are from missiles, tertiary from displacement of the body, and quaternary from burns, crush and inhalation.

Option by option

  • A. Tertiary blast injury, caused by being thrown by the blast wind

    Tertiary injury produces fractures and blunt trauma when the body is thrown.

  • B. Secondary blast injury, caused by flying fragments

    Secondary injury needs fragments and would show penetrating wounds.

  • C. Quaternary blast injury, caused by burns and inhaled toxic gases

    Quaternary injury would show burns or inhalation signs and does not explain perforated ears and blast lung.

  • D. Primary blast injury, caused by the overpressure wave acting on air-containing organs (correct)

    Correct. The overpressure wave damages the ears and lungs without external wounds.

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.

More Forensic Medicine questions

Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is D, Primary blast injury, caused by the overpressure wave acting on air-containing organs. The primary blast injury is caused by the pressure wave and affects gas-filled organs: the tympanic membrane (most sensitive), the lungs (blast lung with haemorrhage and oedema) and the bowel.

Why is "Tertiary blast injury, caused by being thrown by the blast wind" not the answer?

Tertiary injury produces fractures and blunt trauma when the body is thrown.

Why is "Secondary blast injury, caused by flying fragments" not the answer?

Secondary injury needs fragments and would show penetrating wounds.

Why is "Quaternary blast injury, caused by burns and inhaled toxic gases" not the answer?

Quaternary injury would show burns or inhalation signs and does not explain perforated ears and blast lung.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries: blast injury in Forensic Medicine. External signs may be absent. Secondary injuries are from missiles, tertiary from displacement of the body, and quaternary from burns, crush and inhalation.

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 Injuries: blast injury?

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.