Forensic toxicology: 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.

Try it

Forensic Medicine · Forensic toxicology

Sample item

Which sample is particularly useful for estimating ethanol concentration after death?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Peripheral femoral blood

Peripheral femoral blood is preferred for postmortem ethanol testing because it is less affected by contamination and redistribution than central blood.

Option by option

  • A. Bile only

    Bile alone is not preferred for ethanol quantification.

  • B. Peripheral femoral blood (correct)

    Correct: femoral blood is a standard peripheral toxicology specimen.

  • C. Nail clippings

    Nails are not routine ethanol specimens.

  • D. Middle-ear wax

    Earwax has no role in alcohol concentration testing.

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 B, Peripheral femoral blood. Peripheral femoral blood is preferred for postmortem ethanol testing because it is less affected by contamination and redistribution than central blood.

Why is "Bile only" not the answer?

Bile alone is not preferred for ethanol quantification.

Why is "Nail clippings" not the answer?

Nails are not routine ethanol specimens.

Why is "Middle-ear wax" not the answer?

Earwax has no role in alcohol concentration testing.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Forensic toxicology in Forensic Medicine. The correct option holds because: Correct: femoral blood is a standard peripheral toxicology specimen.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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 Forensic toxicology?

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.