Medical law and ethics: death certificate in unnatural 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 · Medical law and ethics: death certificate in unnatural death

Sample item

A man brought to hospital with suspected poisoning dies within an hour. His relatives ask for a death certificate. What should the treating doctor do?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Not certify the cause of death and inform the police for inquest

Where the cause of death is unnatural or suspicious, the doctor should not issue a cause-of-death certificate. The case is a medicolegal one and the police must be informed so that an inquest and autopsy can establish the cause.

Option by option

  • A. Not certify the cause of death and inform the police for inquest (correct)

    Correct. Suspected poisoning is a medicolegal case, and the cause is for the inquest and autopsy.

  • B. Issue a certificate stating poisoning

    Certifying poisoning without autopsy pre-empts the inquest and is not the doctor's role.

  • C. Hand over the body without records

    Releasing the body without records ignores the duty to inform the police.

  • D. Issue a certificate stating cardiac arrest

    A false cause such as cardiac arrest would be a false certificate.

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 A, Not certify the cause of death and inform the police for inquest. Where the cause of death is unnatural or suspicious, the doctor should not issue a cause-of-death certificate.

Why is "Issue a certificate stating poisoning" not the answer?

Certifying poisoning without autopsy pre-empts the inquest and is not the doctor's role.

Why is "Hand over the body without records" not the answer?

Releasing the body without records ignores the duty to inform the police.

Why is "Issue a certificate stating cardiac arrest" not the answer?

A false cause such as cardiac arrest would be a false certificate.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law and ethics: death certificate in unnatural death in Forensic Medicine. The case is a medicolegal one and the police must be informed so that an inquest and autopsy can establish the cause.

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 Medical law and ethics: death certificate in unnatural 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.