Injuries and wounds: bullet embolism: 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: bullet embolism

Sample item

A man with a thigh gunshot wound and no exit has a bullet seen in the right heart on admission, and on later films it lies in a branch of the pulmonary artery. What is the explanation?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Venous bullet embolism

A low-velocity bullet entering a large vein can be carried by venous flow to the right heart and then the pulmonary arteries. An arterial embolus travels away from the heart to peripheral arteries. Movement through tissue would not follow the circulation.

Option by option

  • A. Migration through tissue under gravity

    Gravity migration through tissue would not carry a bullet into the heart chambers.

  • B. Ricochet inside the chest

    Ricochet is a deflection of a bullet in flight and does not move it within the circulation.

  • C. Venous bullet embolism (correct)

    Correct. A bullet in a vein can flow to the right heart and the pulmonary artery.

  • D. Arterial embolism through the systemic circulation

    Arterial emboli travel away from the heart to the limbs or brain and do not end in the right heart.

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 C, Venous bullet embolism. A low-velocity bullet entering a large vein can be carried by venous flow to the right heart and then the pulmonary arteries.

Why is "Migration through tissue under gravity" not the answer?

Gravity migration through tissue would not carry a bullet into the heart chambers.

Why is "Ricochet inside the chest" not the answer?

Ricochet is a deflection of a bullet in flight and does not move it within the circulation.

Why is "Arterial embolism through the systemic circulation" not the answer?

Arterial emboli travel away from the heart to the limbs or brain and do not end in the right heart.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: bullet embolism in Forensic Medicine. An arterial embolus travels away from the heart to peripheral arteries. Movement through tissue would not follow the circulation.

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: bullet embolism?

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.