Medical law and ethics: do not resuscitate orders: 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 · Medical law and ethics: do not resuscitate orders

Sample item

A terminally ill patient with metastatic cancer, who is competent, asks that no cardiopulmonary resuscitation be attempted if his heart stops. Which principle most directly supports honouring this request?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Respect for autonomy

A competent patient has the right to refuse treatment, and a do-not-resuscitate decision expresses that autonomy after informed discussion. Beneficence and non-maleficence guide the clinician's duty but do not themselves give the patient the right to decide. Justice concerns fair allocation.

Option by option

  • A. Beneficence

    Beneficence is the clinician's duty to benefit and does not by itself give the patient the right to refuse.

  • B. Respect for autonomy (correct)

    Correct. A competent patient's informed refusal is an exercise of autonomy.

  • C. Non-maleficence

    Non-maleficence is the duty not to harm and does not determine who decides.

  • D. Distributive justice

    Distributive justice concerns fair allocation of resources.

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.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Respect for autonomy. A competent patient has the right to refuse treatment, and a do-not-resuscitate decision expresses that autonomy after informed discussion.

Why is "Beneficence" not the answer?

Beneficence is the clinician's duty to benefit and does not by itself give the patient the right to refuse.

Why is "Non-maleficence" not the answer?

Non-maleficence is the duty not to harm and does not determine who decides.

Why is "Distributive justice" not the answer?

Distributive justice concerns fair allocation of resources.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Medical law and ethics: do not resuscitate orders in Forensic Medicine. Beneficence and non-maleficence guide the clinician's duty but do not themselves give the patient the right to decide. Justice concerns fair allocation.

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 Medical law and ethics: do not resuscitate orders?

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.