Injuries and wounds: heat illness: 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: heat illness

Sample item

A construction worker in peak summer becomes confused and then collapses. The temperature of his body core is 41.5 degrees Celsius and his skin is hot and dry with no sweating. Which condition is this?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Heat stroke

Heat stroke is failure of thermoregulation, with core temperature above 40 degrees Celsius, hot dry skin and CNS dysfunction, and it is a medical emergency. Heat exhaustion has profuse sweating with only mild temperature rise. Cramps and syncope are milder forms.

Option by option

  • A. Heat cramps

    Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms with a normal mental state.

  • B. Heat syncope

    Heat syncope is a brief faint from vasodilation without a very high temperature.

  • C. Heat exhaustion

    Heat exhaustion shows heavy sweating, cool moist skin and a near normal or mildly raised temperature.

  • D. Heat stroke (correct)

    Correct. A core temperature above 40 degrees, anhidrosis and confusion define heat stroke.

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 D, Heat stroke. Heat stroke is failure of thermoregulation, with core temperature above 40 degrees Celsius, hot dry skin and CNS dysfunction, and it is a medical emergency.

Why is "Heat cramps" not the answer?

Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms with a normal mental state.

Why is "Heat syncope" not the answer?

Heat syncope is a brief faint from vasodilation without a very high temperature.

Why is "Heat exhaustion" not the answer?

Heat exhaustion shows heavy sweating, cool moist skin and a near normal or mildly raised temperature.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: heat illness in Forensic Medicine. Heat exhaustion has profuse sweating with only mild temperature rise. Cramps and syncope are milder forms.

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: heat illness?

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.