Injuries and wounds: Waddell's triad: 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 and wounds: Waddell's triad

Sample item

A 7-year-old child crossing a road is struck from the side by the front of a moving car and thrown to the ground. In such child pedestrian accidents, the examiner looks for a classic combination of injuries produced by the bumper, the bonnet edge and the ground. Which combination is this?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Leg fracture, trunk injury and head or face injury

Waddell's triad in a child pedestrian consists of a fracture of the femur or tibia from the bumper, a chest or abdominal injury from the bonnet or grille, and a head or facial injury from the secondary impact with the road. It helps reconstruct the sequence of impact in a hit-and-run case.

Option by option

  • A. Foot fracture, abdominal injury and neck injury

    The foot and neck are not the points of contact with the bumper, bonnet and road in this sequence.

  • B. Wrist fracture, shoulder injury and spinal injury

    Upper limb and shoulder injuries are typical of a fall on an outstretched hand, not the bumper-bonnet-ground sequence.

  • C. Leg fracture, trunk injury and head or face injury (correct)

    Correct. Bumper to leg, bonnet to trunk and ground to head or face make up the triad.

  • D. Pelvic fracture, rib fractures and splenic rupture

    These injuries can occur in road accidents, but they are not the recognised triad of a child struck by a car front.

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 C, Leg fracture, trunk injury and head or face injury. Waddell's triad in a child pedestrian consists of a fracture of the femur or tibia from the bumper, a chest or abdominal injury from the bonnet or grille, and a head or facial injury from the secondary impact with the road.

Why is "Foot fracture, abdominal injury and neck injury" not the answer?

The foot and neck are not the points of contact with the bumper, bonnet and road in this sequence.

Why is "Wrist fracture, shoulder injury and spinal injury" not the answer?

Upper limb and shoulder injuries are typical of a fall on an outstretched hand, not the bumper-bonnet-ground sequence.

Why is "Pelvic fracture, rib fractures and splenic rupture" not the answer?

These injuries can occur in road accidents, but they are not the recognised triad of a child struck by a car front.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: Waddell's triad in Forensic Medicine. It helps reconstruct the sequence of impact in a hit-and-run case.

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 and wounds: Waddell's triad?

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.