Injuries and wounds: paradoxical undressing: 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: paradoxical undressing

Sample item

A mountaineer is found dead from exposure to cold. His jacket and gloves lie scattered beside him although the weather was freezing. Which explanation fits this paradoxical undressing?

AMuscle rigidity making clothing painfulBDelirium from exertional hyperthermiaCRemoval of clothing after death by an assailantDLate peripheral vasodilation causing a false sense of warmth

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Late peripheral vasodilation causing a false sense of warmth

In severe hypothermia, exhaustion of vasoconstrictor control produces sudden peripheral vasodilation. The person feels hot and removes clothing, a behaviour known as paradoxical undressing. Some victims also crawl into small enclosed spaces, called terminal burrowing, and these findings can be mistaken for assault.

Option by option

A. Muscle rigidity making clothing painful
Muscle rigidity may be present, but it does not account for the person throwing off garments.
B. Delirium from exertional hyperthermia
Hyperthermia is not the state in a person dying of cold exposure.
C. Removal of clothing after death by an assailant
Paradoxical undressing is a recognised physiological behaviour and does not imply assault.
D. Late peripheral vasodilation causing a false sense of warmth (correct)
Correct. Vasomotor failure gives a feeling of warmth, so clothes are cast off.

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 D, Late peripheral vasodilation causing a false sense of warmth. In severe hypothermia, exhaustion of vasoconstrictor control produces sudden peripheral vasodilation.

Why is "Muscle rigidity making clothing painful" not the answer?

Muscle rigidity may be present, but it does not account for the person throwing off garments.

Why is "Delirium from exertional hyperthermia" not the answer?

Hyperthermia is not the state in a person dying of cold exposure.

Why is "Removal of clothing after death by an assailant" not the answer?

Paradoxical undressing is a recognised physiological behaviour and does not imply assault.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: paradoxical undressing in Forensic Medicine. The person feels hot and removes clothing, a behaviour known as paradoxical undressing. Some victims also crawl into small enclosed spaces, called terminal burrowing, and these findings can be mistaken for assault.

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: paradoxical undressing?

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.