Firearm injuries: 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 · Firearm injuries

Sample item

A circular entry wound has surrounding tiny punctate dark specks that cannot be wiped off. What are they due to?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Unburnt or partly burnt powder grains driven into the skin

Tattooing is produced when unburnt or partly burnt powder grains are driven into the dermis, so they cannot be wiped off. It indicates a close-range shot, while soot (blackening) is wipeable and deposited at a still shorter range.

Option by option

  • A. Unburnt or partly burnt powder grains driven into the skin (correct)

    Correct. Embedded grains give a permanent, punctate pattern whose spread helps estimate the range.

  • B. Soot deposited on the surface of the skin

    Soot forms a smudged deposit that can be wiped off, unlike tattooing.

  • C. Friction of the rotating bullet against the skin edge

    Friction of the bullet produces the abrasion collar, a rim around the hole.

  • D. Singeing by flame emerging from the muzzle

    Flame produces singed hair and burns, not discrete embedded specks.

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, Unburnt or partly burnt powder grains driven into the skin. Tattooing is produced when unburnt or partly burnt powder grains are driven into the dermis, so they cannot be wiped off.

Why is "Soot deposited on the surface of the skin" not the answer?

Soot forms a smudged deposit that can be wiped off, unlike tattooing.

Why is "Friction of the rotating bullet against the skin edge" not the answer?

Friction of the bullet produces the abrasion collar, a rim around the hole.

Why is "Singeing by flame emerging from the muzzle" not the answer?

Flame produces singed hair and burns, not discrete embedded specks.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Firearm injuries in Forensic Medicine. It indicates a close-range shot, while soot (blackening) is wipeable and deposited at a still shorter range.

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 Firearm injuries?

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.