Injuries and wounds: antemortem incised wound: 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 · Injuries and wounds: antemortem incised wound

Sample item

A man is found dead with an incised wound on the forearm. The edges are gaping and swollen with blood clots in the depth, and there is infiltration of blood into the surrounding tissue. What does this indicate?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. The wound was inflicted during life

Antemortem wounds show gaping with retracted edges, as the elastic skin pulls apart, with infiltration of blood into the tissue and firm clotting. After death, wounds gape little, there is minimal bleeding and no true infiltration or clotting. These are the signs of a vital reaction.

Option by option

  • A. The wound was inflicted during life (correct)

    Correct. Gaping, clotted and infiltrated wound edges are signs of vital reaction.

  • B. The wound was inflicted shortly after death

    A wound made after death shows little bleeding and does not have clots infiltrating tissues.

  • C. The wound is a postmortem animal artefact

    Animal artefacts lack the vital reaction found here.

  • D. The wound was made at autopsy

    Autopsy incisions lack infiltration and clots because circulation has ceased.

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, The wound was inflicted during life. Antemortem wounds show gaping with retracted edges, as the elastic skin pulls apart, with infiltration of blood into the tissue and firm clotting.

Why is "The wound was inflicted shortly after death" not the answer?

A wound made after death shows little bleeding and does not have clots infiltrating tissues.

Why is "The wound is a postmortem animal artefact" not the answer?

Animal artefacts lack the vital reaction found here.

Why is "The wound was made at autopsy" not the answer?

Autopsy incisions lack infiltration and clots because circulation has ceased.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries and wounds: antemortem incised wound in Forensic Medicine. After death, wounds gape little, there is minimal bleeding and no true infiltration or clotting. These are the signs of a vital reaction.

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 Injuries and wounds: antemortem incised wound?

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.