Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: septic criminal abortion: 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 · Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: septic criminal abortion

Sample item

Two days after an illegal instrumental abortion, a woman has fever, jaundice, haemoglobinuria, a tender uterus and gas in the uterine wall on imaging. Which organism is most likely?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Clostridium perfringens

Clostridium perfringens infection of the uterus after an unsafe abortion produces gas, intravascular haemolysis with jaundice and haemoglobinuria, and is often fatal. Streptococcus pyogenes causes puerperal sepsis without gas or haemolysis, and chlamydia and listeria act differently.

Option by option

  • A. Clostridium perfringens (correct)

    Correct. Gas, haemolysis and jaundice after an unsafe abortion point to Clostridium perfringens.

  • B. Streptococcus pyogenes

    Streptococcus pyogenes causes toxic sepsis but not typically gas gangrene or haemolysis of this degree.

  • C. Listeria monocytogenes

    Listeria monocytogenes causes fever and bacteraemia, not uterine gas gangrene.

  • D. Chlamydia trachomatis

    Chlamydia trachomatis causes a slow pelvic infection.

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 A, Clostridium perfringens. Clostridium perfringens infection of the uterus after an unsafe abortion produces gas, intravascular haemolysis with jaundice and haemoglobinuria, and is often fatal.

Why is "Streptococcus pyogenes" not the answer?

Streptococcus pyogenes causes toxic sepsis but not typically gas gangrene or haemolysis of this degree.

Why is "Listeria monocytogenes" not the answer?

Listeria monocytogenes causes fever and bacteraemia, not uterine gas gangrene.

Why is "Chlamydia trachomatis" not the answer?

Chlamydia trachomatis causes a slow pelvic infection.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: septic criminal abortion in Forensic Medicine. Streptococcus pyogenes causes puerperal sepsis without gas or haemolysis, and chlamydia and listeria act differently.

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 Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: septic criminal abortion?

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.