Toxicology: copper sulphate: 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 · Toxicology: copper sulphate

Sample item

A farmer swallows a blue crystalline substance used as a fungicide. He vomits blue-green material, has a metallic taste, and develops jaundice and dark urine from intravascular haemolysis. Which poison is most likely?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Copper sulphate

Copper sulphate causes blue-green vomit, a metallic taste, gastroenteritis, haemolysis, jaundice and renal failure. Potassium dichromate stains yellow-orange, arsenic gives rice-water diarrhoea and mercuric chloride causes metallic taste with bloody diarrhoea and renal failure. The blue-green vomit is the clue.

Option by option

  • A. Arsenic trioxide

    Arsenic trioxide causes a profuse rice-water diarrhoea and garlic odour, not blue-green vomit.

  • B. Potassium dichromate

    Potassium dichromate causes yellow-orange staining and corrosion.

  • C. Copper sulphate (correct)

    Correct. Blue-green vomit with haemolysis points to copper sulphate.

  • D. Mercuric chloride

    Mercuric chloride gives bloody diarrhoea and acute tubular necrosis without a blue-green colour.

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 C, Copper sulphate. Copper sulphate causes blue-green vomit, a metallic taste, gastroenteritis, haemolysis, jaundice and renal failure.

Why is "Arsenic trioxide" not the answer?

Arsenic trioxide causes a profuse rice-water diarrhoea and garlic odour, not blue-green vomit.

Why is "Potassium dichromate" not the answer?

Potassium dichromate causes yellow-orange staining and corrosion.

Why is "Mercuric chloride" not the answer?

Mercuric chloride gives bloody diarrhoea and acute tubular necrosis without a blue-green colour.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Toxicology: copper sulphate in Forensic Medicine. Potassium dichromate stains yellow-orange, arsenic gives rice-water diarrhoea and mercuric chloride causes metallic taste with bloody diarrhoea and renal failure. The blue-green vomit is the clue.

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 Toxicology: copper sulphate?

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.