Injuries: scald versus flame burn: 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 · Injuries: scald versus flame burn

Sample item

A toddler is brought with erythema and blisters over the chest and arm after a hot tea kettle fell on him. Which finding favours a scald over a flame burn?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Hair not singed and clothing not burnt, with skin not charred

Scalds are caused by hot liquids or steam. They show erythema and vesicles with a sharply outlined edge, often running downward in a drip pattern, and the hair is not singed, clothes are not burnt and the skin is not charred. Flame burns singe hair, blacken the skin with soot and may char tissue.

Option by option

  • A. Charring of the skin with flexed limbs

    Charring and flexion posture are produced by dry heat and flames.

  • B. Deep eschar with exposed bone

    Exposed bone follows prolonged intense flame or electrical burns.

  • C. Singeing of hair and soot in the nostrils

    Singed hair and soot in the airway indicate flame or smoke exposure.

  • D. Hair not singed and clothing not burnt, with skin not charred (correct)

    Correct. No singeing, charring or burnt clothing points to moist heat.

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, Hair not singed and clothing not burnt, with skin not charred. Scalds are caused by hot liquids or steam.

Why is "Charring of the skin with flexed limbs" not the answer?

Charring and flexion posture are produced by dry heat and flames.

Why is "Deep eschar with exposed bone" not the answer?

Exposed bone follows prolonged intense flame or electrical burns.

Why is "Singeing of hair and soot in the nostrils" not the answer?

Singed hair and soot in the airway indicate flame or smoke exposure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries: scald versus flame burn in Forensic Medicine. They show erythema and vesicles with a sharply outlined edge, often running downward in a drip pattern, and the hair is not singed, clothes are not burnt and the skin is not charred. Flame burns singe hair, blacken the skin with soot and may char tissue.

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: scald versus flame burn?

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.