Injuries and wounds: shored exit wound: 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 and wounds: shored exit wound

Sample item

A man shot while leaning against a hard wall has a round wound on his back with a ring of abrasion, resembling an entrance. The bullet had passed through his chest and the skin at this site was pressed against the wall. What is this wound called?

ATangential graze woundBKeyhole woundCShored exit woundDContact entrance wound

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Shored exit wound

When the skin at the point of exit is supported by a firm surface, tight clothing or a belt, it cannot evert freely. The bullet then scrapes the supported skin and produces a round wound with an abrasion margin, a shored exit wound. The history, the track and the other wound help to distinguish it from an entrance.

Option by option

A. Tangential graze wound
A tangential graze is a furrow made by a bullet skimming the skin, not an exit of a penetrating bullet.
B. Keyhole wound
A keyhole wound is a bone defect in the skull caused by a tangential bullet.
C. Shored exit wound (correct)
Correct. Support of the skin at the exit site produces an abrasion ring, giving a shored exit wound.
D. Contact entrance wound
A contact entrance wound has soot and powder at the muzzle end and a different track.

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, Shored exit wound. When the skin at the point of exit is supported by a firm surface, tight clothing or a belt, it cannot evert freely.

Why is "Tangential graze wound" not the answer?

A tangential graze is a furrow made by a bullet skimming the skin, not an exit of a penetrating bullet.

Why is "Keyhole wound" not the answer?

A keyhole wound is a bone defect in the skull caused by a tangential bullet.

Why is "Contact entrance wound" not the answer?

A contact entrance wound has soot and powder at the muzzle end and a different track.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: shored exit wound in Forensic Medicine. The bullet then scrapes the supported skin and produces a round wound with an abrasion margin, a shored exit wound. The history, the track and the other wound help to distinguish it from an entrance.

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 Injuries and wounds: shored exit wound?

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.