NEET-PG 2024 - Forensic Medicine PYQs Practice Questions

Q: What is the sequence of rigor mortis in the human body?

Head to foot. ***Head to foot*** - Rigor mortis follows **Nysten's Law**, progressing in a **descending pattern** from head to feet. - Begins in smaller muscles with higher metabolic activity: **masseter (jaw), eyelids, and facial muscles** (2-4 hours post-mortem). - Then progresses to **neck → upper extremities → trunk → lower extremities** (completing over 12 hours). - This sequence relates to muscle size, ATP depletion rates, and surface area-to-volume ratios. *Centre to periphery* - This pattern does **not accurately describe** rigor mortis progression. - While smaller muscles are affected first, the progression follows a **craniocaudal (head-to-foot) direction**, not a radial center-to-periphery pattern. - The anatomical distribution is vertically sequential, not centrifugal. *Foot to head* - This is the **opposite of the established progression** described by Nysten's Law. - Lower extremity muscles develop rigor mortis **last**, not first. - This would contradict classic forensic pathology observations. *Simultaneously* - Rigor mortis is a **time-dependent sequential process**, not simultaneous. - Different muscle groups deplete ATP and accumulate calcium at **varying rates over several hours**. - The progressive nature (2-4 hours onset, 12 hours peak, 36-48 hours resolution) demonstrates it cannot be simultaneous. [Practice more Forensic Medicine PYQs on OnCourse]

Q: From a medico-legal perspective, in cases of sexual assault involving a female victim, what type of court proceeding is typically used to record medical evidence and testimony to protect the victim's privacy?

In camera proceedings. ***In camera proceedings*** - **In camera proceedings** (Latin for "in chambers") refer to court hearings conducted in **private**, with the public and media excluded, to protect the victim's privacy and dignity. - Under **Section 327(2) of CrPC**, cases of sexual offences against women must be conducted in camera to prevent further trauma and ensure the victim can provide testimony comfortably. - This legal provision ensures **confidentiality** of victim identity and prevents public disclosure of sensitive medical evidence and testimony. - The proceedings are still officially recorded and form part of the legal record, but occur in a closed, private setting. *Open court proceedings* - **Open court proceedings** allow public and media access, which would severely compromise the victim's privacy and cause additional psychological trauma. - Such public exposure is specifically prohibited in sexual assault cases under Indian law to protect the **victim's identity** and well-being. *Closed court proceedings* - While this term might seem similar, **"closed court"** is not the standard legal terminology used in Indian jurisprudence for sexual assault cases. - The specific term **"in camera"** is used in Section 327 CrPC and judicial pronouncements, making it the precise medico-legal answer. *Hearing at a different location* - Changing the location does not inherently provide the **legal framework** for privacy protection that in camera proceedings mandate. - This option lacks the formal legal status and procedural safeguards that Section 327 CrPC provides through in camera hearings. [Practice more Forensic Medicine PYQs on OnCourse]

Q: Police brought a person from a railway track with features of dry dilated pupils, dry skin, slurred speech, and altered sensorium. What is the most likely cause of poisoning?

Datura. ***Datura*** - **Datura poisoning** presents with anticholinergic symptoms including **dry dilated pupils**, **dry skin**, **tachycardia**, altered mental status (**altered sensorium**), and **slurred speech**. - The classic mnemonic "hot as a hare, blind as a bat, dry as a bone, red as a beet, mad as a hatter" describes the systemic effects of **anticholinergic toxidrome**. *Morphine* - **Opioid poisoning**, such as with morphine, typically causes **pinpoint pupils**, **respiratory depression**, and **CNS depression**. - Skin is usually **cool and clammy**, not dry. *Cannabis* - **Cannabis intoxication** typically causes **conjunctival injection** (red eyes), **tachycardia**, increased appetite, and euphoria or anxiety. - While it can alter perception, it generally does not lead to significantly **dilated pupils**, dry skin, or profound slurred speech in the manner seen with anticholinergics. *Alcohol* - **Alcohol intoxication** leads to **CNS depression**, slurred speech, ataxia, and sometimes nausea/vomiting. - **Pupils** are typically normal or slightly constricted, and the skin is often flushed and warm, not significantly dry or pale. [Practice more Forensic Medicine PYQs on OnCourse]

Q: A child was born 8 months after the father's death. The grandparents filed a case claiming that the baby is not their son's, but DNA testing confirmed paternity. What is the child called?

Posthumous child. ***Posthumous child*** - A **posthumous child** is one born after the death of its father. - In most legal systems, such a child is considered an heir and has rights equivalent to those born before the father's death, especially after paternity is confirmed. *Suppositious child* - A **suppositious child** is one who is falsely substituted for another, typically with the intent to defraud or claim an inheritance under false pretenses. - This term does not apply here as paternity was confirmed by DNA testing, indicating the child is genuinely linked to the deceased father. *Fabricated child* - The term **fabricated child** implies the child does not exist or was created through fraudulent means, often in the context of false claims or elaborate schemes. - In this scenario, the child is real and paternity has been verified, making "fabricated" an inaccurate description. *Illegitimate child* - An **illegitimate child** is historically defined as one born outside of marriage between its biological parents. - While the father died before the child's birth, the question does not provide information about the parents' marital status, and the term primarily refers to marital legality rather than the circumstances of the father's death. [Practice more Forensic Medicine PYQs on OnCourse]

Q: In a medicolegal examination, an 18-year-old male claims he is 16 years old. Which joint X-ray should be done to estimate his age?

Knee and wrist. ***Knee and wrist*** - **Bone age determination** using hand/wrist and knee radiographs is a standard method for estimating skeletal maturity across a wide age range, including late adolescence. - The **epiphyseal fusion** in these joints provides reliable indicators for age estimation up to and slightly beyond 18 years, particularly the **distal radius, ulna, and knee epiphyses**. *Head & shoulder* - While glenohumeral fusion occurs later, **skull sutures** are not reliable for precise age estimation in this age group, and shoulder fusion may not be as precise as wrist/knee for this specific age. - The **skull and shoulder** are generally not the primary sites chosen for age estimation in late adolescence due to less distinct and less consistent markers compared to other joints. *Elbow and ankle* - Although the elbow and ankle joints undergo fusion, the **wrist and knee provide a more comprehensive and widely validated set of ossification centers** for age estimation in the 16-18 year old range. - While useful, these sites may not offer the same level of detailed assessment for skeletal maturity as the combination of **wrist and knee**. *Elbow & hip* - **Hip fusion** (e.g., ilium, ischium, pubis) happens relatively early, making it less useful for distinguishing between 16 and 18 years old. - The **elbow alone** may not provide sufficient distinct markers for accurate age estimation in this specific late adolescent age group, unlike the wrist, which has multiple carpal and epiphyseal centers. [Practice more Forensic Medicine PYQs on OnCourse]

Question 1

What is the sequence of rigor mortis in the human body?

Accepted Answer

Head to foot

Answer

Centre to periphery

Answer

Foot to head

Answer

Simultaneously

Question 2

From a medico-legal perspective, in cases of sexual assault involving a female victim, what type of court proceeding is typically used to record medical evidence and testimony to protect the victim's privacy?

Accepted Answer

In camera proceedings

Answer

Open court proceedings

Answer

Closed court proceedings

Answer

Hearing at a different location

Question 3

Police brought a person from a railway track with features of dry dilated pupils, dry skin, slurred speech, and altered sensorium. What is the most likely cause of poisoning?

Accepted Answer

Datura

Answer

Morphine

Answer

Cannabis

Answer

Alcohol

Question 4

A child was born 8 months after the father's death. The grandparents filed a case claiming that the baby is not their son's, but DNA testing confirmed paternity. What is the child called?

Accepted Answer

Posthumous child

Answer

Suppositious child

Answer

Fabricated child

Answer

Illegitimate child

Question 5

In a medicolegal examination, an 18-year-old male claims he is 16 years old. Which joint X-ray should be done to estimate his age?

Accepted Answer

Knee and wrist

Answer

Head & shoulder

Answer

Elbow and ankle

Answer

Elbow & hip

Question 6

Which of the following is true regarding adipocere formation?

Accepted Answer

Preservation by saponification

Answer

High temperature needed

Answer

Cool and dry climate needed

Answer

Occurs within minutes to hours

Question 7

Who orders the autopsy in the case of a Road Traffic Accident (RTA)?

Accepted Answer

B. Police

Answer

A. Forensic expert

Answer

C. Lawyer

Answer

D. Forensic doctor

Question 8

Mees' lines and raindrop pigmentation on the hands are seen in which type of poisoning?

Accepted Answer

Arsenic

Answer

Thallium

Answer

Cadmium

Answer

Lead

Question 9

A man presented with bilateral non-inflammatory edema after consuming a particular oil. Which test should be performed by the drug inspector to check for the adulterant?

Accepted Answer

Nitric acid test

Answer

Paper chromatography test

Answer

Methylene Blue Reduction Test

Answer

Baudouin test

Question 10

A suspicious stain was treated with glacial acetic acid and heated. Examination shows the following crystalline finding. Which confirmatory test is being depicted?

Accepted Answer

Teichman test

Answer

Barberio's test

Answer

Florence test

Answer

Takayama test

NEET-PG 2024 — Forensic Medicine