Asphyxial deaths: foreign material in airway: 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 · Asphyxial deaths: foreign material in airway

Sample item

A body recovered from a river has fine sand and weed fragments in the bronchioles and in the stomach and duodenum. What is the best inference?

AThe material entered by passive diffusion after deathBDeath was due to poisoningCThe person was alive and breathing and swallowing in the waterDThe body was thrown into the river after death

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. The person was alive and breathing and swallowing in the water

Fine sand, mud, weeds or silt in the smaller bronchi and in the stomach and duodenum shows active inhalation and swallowing during life, hence ante-mortem submersion. Passive entry into a dead body reaches only the upper airway and rarely beyond. Therefore deep airway debris is a vital sign.

Option by option

A. The material entered by passive diffusion after death
Passive diffusion does not carry debris into small bronchioles.
B. Death was due to poisoning
Poisoning is not suggested by sand or weeds.
C. The person was alive and breathing and swallowing in the water (correct)
Correct. Deep airway and gut debris requires respiratory and swallowing movements.
D. The body was thrown into the river after death
A body submerged after death takes in little beyond the upper airway.

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 C, The person was alive and breathing and swallowing in the water. Fine sand, mud, weeds or silt in the smaller bronchi and in the stomach and duodenum shows active inhalation and swallowing during life, hence ante-mortem submersion.

Why is "The material entered by passive diffusion after death" not the answer?

Passive diffusion does not carry debris into small bronchioles.

Why is "Death was due to poisoning" not the answer?

Poisoning is not suggested by sand or weeds.

Why is "The body was thrown into the river after death" not the answer?

A body submerged after death takes in little beyond the upper airway.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Asphyxial deaths: foreign material in airway in Forensic Medicine. Passive entry into a dead body reaches only the upper airway and rarely beyond. Therefore deep airway debris is a vital sign.

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 Asphyxial deaths: foreign material in airway?

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.