Injuries and wounds: blunt cardiac injury: 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: blunt cardiac injury

Sample item

A driver hits the steering wheel and has sternal tenderness, new ventricular ectopics and a raised troponin. What is the most likely injury?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Myocardial contusion

A blow to the sternum can bruise the myocardium, commonly the right ventricle, causing arrhythmias and raised cardiac markers. Aortic transection causes mediastinal widening and pneumothorax causes absent breath sounds.

Option by option

  • A. Traumatic aortic transection

    Aortic transection presents with shock and a widened mediastinum, not ectopics with local sternal pain.

  • B. Tension pneumothorax

    Tension pneumothorax gives absent breath sounds and a shifted trachea.

  • C. Myocardial contusion (correct)

    Correct. Arrhythmia and raised troponin after a steering wheel blow suggest myocardial contusion.

  • D. Pulmonary embolism

    Pulmonary embolism is not caused directly by the blunt impact.

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 C, Myocardial contusion. A blow to the sternum can bruise the myocardium, commonly the right ventricle, causing arrhythmias and raised cardiac markers.

Why is "Traumatic aortic transection" not the answer?

Aortic transection presents with shock and a widened mediastinum, not ectopics with local sternal pain.

Why is "Tension pneumothorax" not the answer?

Tension pneumothorax gives absent breath sounds and a shifted trachea.

Why is "Pulmonary embolism" not the answer?

Pulmonary embolism is not caused directly by the blunt impact.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: blunt cardiac injury in Forensic Medicine. Aortic transection causes mediastinal widening and pneumothorax causes absent breath sounds.

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: blunt cardiac injury?

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.