Thanatology: supravital reaction: 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: supravital reaction

Sample item

A man is pronounced dead after a cardiac arrest. A short time later the muscles of his forearm still contract when a direct electrical stimulus is applied to them. How is this finding best explained?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. A supravital reaction of surviving tissue

After somatic death, individual tissues stay alive for a variable time (molecular death is gradual). Skeletal muscle may contract to direct electrical stimulation, and sweat glands and the iris may respond to drugs, for some hours. These supravital reactions are used to help estimate the early postmortem interval and do not mean that death has not occurred.

Option by option

  • A. Cadaveric spasm of the stimulated muscle

    Cadaveric spasm is instantaneous stiffening of a group of muscles at the moment of death, not a response to stimulation.

  • B. Early rigor mortis in the stimulated muscle

    Rigor mortis is a stiffening from ATP loss; it does not produce a contraction on electrical stimulation.

  • C. Proof that somatic death has not occurred

    Somatic death has already occurred; the response is a property of tissue that has not yet died at the cellular level.

  • D. A supravital reaction of surviving tissue (correct)

    Correct. Tissue cells are still viable after somatic death, so they can respond briefly to a stimulus.

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 D, A supravital reaction of surviving tissue. After somatic death, individual tissues stay alive for a variable time (molecular death is gradual).

Why is "Cadaveric spasm of the stimulated muscle" not the answer?

Cadaveric spasm is instantaneous stiffening of a group of muscles at the moment of death, not a response to stimulation.

Why is "Early rigor mortis in the stimulated muscle" not the answer?

Rigor mortis is a stiffening from ATP loss; it does not produce a contraction on electrical stimulation.

Why is "Proof that somatic death has not occurred" not the answer?

Somatic death has already occurred; the response is a property of tissue that has not yet died at the cellular level.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thanatology: supravital reaction in Forensic Medicine. Skeletal muscle may contract to direct electrical stimulation, and sweat glands and the iris may respond to drugs, for some hours. These supravital reactions are used to help estimate the early postmortem interval and do not mean that death has not occurred.

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: supravital reaction?

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.