Thanatology: stomach contents and time 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.

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Forensic Medicine · Thanatology: stomach contents and time of death

Sample item

At autopsy a man's stomach contains partly digested rice and lentils. Police ask whether this proves he died about 2 hours after his meal. Which statement is most accurate?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. The state of the stomach contents gives only a rough guide because gastric emptying varies with meal type, emotion, pain and injury

Gastric emptying depends on the amount and composition of the meal, fear, pain, trauma, drugs and disease, so stomach contents are an unreliable indicator of time since death. They are useful only to show what was eaten and to give a very approximate interval, supported by other evidence.

Option by option

  • A. Any food in the stomach proves death occurred within one hour of eating

    Food can stay in the stomach much longer than an hour, particularly after trauma or fear.

  • B. A full meal always leaves the stomach within exactly 2 hours, so the estimate is reliable

    Emptying time is not fixed; a heavy meal may stay for 4 to 6 hours or longer.

  • C. The state of the stomach contents gives only a rough guide because gastric emptying varies with meal type, emotion, pain and injury (correct)

    Correct. Wide variation in emptying makes stomach contents only a rough guide.

  • D. Empty stomach proves the person had not eaten for 12 hours

    Vomiting or rapid emptying can leave an empty stomach after a recent meal.

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.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is C, The state of the stomach contents gives only a rough guide because gastric emptying varies with meal type, emotion, pain and injury. Gastric emptying depends on the amount and composition of the meal, fear, pain, trauma, drugs and disease, so stomach contents are an unreliable indicator of time since death.

Why is "Any food in the stomach proves death occurred within one hour of eati…" not the answer?

Food can stay in the stomach much longer than an hour, particularly after trauma or fear.

Why is "A full meal always leaves the stomach within exactly 2 hours, so the…" not the answer?

Emptying time is not fixed; a heavy meal may stay for 4 to 6 hours or longer.

Why is "Empty stomach proves the person had not eaten for 12 hours" not the answer?

Vomiting or rapid emptying can leave an empty stomach after a recent meal.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thanatology: stomach contents and time of death in Forensic Medicine. They are useful only to show what was eaten and to give a very approximate interval, supported by other evidence.

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 Thanatology: stomach contents and time 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.