Ante-Mortem & Postmortem Analysis of Injuries

Ante-Mortem & Postmortem Analysis of Injuries Quiz Crafted by -

Dr. Akhilesh Pathak

Professor & Head of Department

Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

All India Institute of Medical Sciences,

Bathinda-151001, Punjab 

Introduction to Injuries 

Antemortem injuries are those injuries a body has received before death. They may be a contributing factor in the death or even its cause. On the other hand, they may have occurred many years ago. During an autopsy , the pathologist assesses the age of antemortem injuries, as well as distinguishing them from postmortem injuries—that is, injuries occurring after death. Postmortem injury can come from various sources such as deliberate mutilation of a body by a murderer following a homicide, predation by wild animals, or careless handling in the mortuary. Postmortem injuries can cause confusion over the manner and cause of death. 

Let's look at the questions and their answers.

Que 1. Antemortem abrasions can be differentiate from postmortem abrasion by-

a) Location on the body

b) Bright red and adherent blood clots.

c) Adherent dust.

d) Parchment like appearance

Answer – b) Bright red and adherent blood clots.

Que 2. During autopsy examination, antemortem bruise can be differentiated from hypostasis easily by-

a) Examining the swelling

b) Examining the margins

c) Examining the colour

d) Examining the tissues after parallel incisions 

Answer – d) Examining the tissues after parallel incisions 

Que 3. Vital reaction is seen in cases of-

a) Antemortem wounds

b) Postmortem wounds

c) Perimortem wounds 

d) Drowning wounds

Answer – a) Antemortem wounds

Que 4. All are signs of vital-reaction except-

a) Redness

b) Swelling

c) Exudation of lymph

d) Pus formation

Answer – a) Redness

Que 5. Tear in the intima of the carotid artery with bleeding into its wall is seen in cases of-

a) Antemortem hanging

b) Postmortem hanging

c) Antemortem strangulation

d) Postmortem strangulation

Answer - a) Antemortem hanging

Que 6. Differentiation between antemortem and postmortem bruises are difficult in cases of-

a) Burns

b) Decomposition

c) Poisoning

d) Shock 

Answer – b) Decomposition

Que 7. A person with a head injury can talk normally and tell about the circumstantial evidence in case of:

a) Lucid interval

b) Concussion

c) Retrograde amnesia

d) Automatism

Answer – a) Lucid interval

Que 8. All are antemortem signs of hanging except-

a) Ligature mark around the neck 

b) Dribbling of saliva

c) Emission of semen

d) Le facie sympathique

Answer – a) Ligature mark around the neck

Que 9. Characteristic of injury due to fall from height is-

a) Both of the external trauma and the internal trauma is serious and fatal.

b) The damage is extensive and serious.

c) All injury can be explained by one-time violence.

d) Injuries distribution focus on one side of the body.

Answer – d) Injuries distribution focus on one side of the body

Que 10. Ligature mark of hanging is an example of-

a) Pressure abrasion

b) Imprint abrasion

c) Linear abrasion

d) All above 

Answer – a) Pressure abrasion

Que 11. A violent death where the constricting force on the neck is from outside by some material, the constricting force is not the weight of the body is called-

a) Hanging

b) Strangulation

c) Throttling

d) Suffocation

Answer – b) Strangulation

Que 12. Dead body of a 40 years male recovered from a river. One of the following is a sure external sign of drowning that can be found duringautopsy examination:

a) Wet body and clothes

b) Froth around the mouth and nostrils

c) Goose skin

d) Washer woman’s hands 

Answer – b) Froth around the mouth and nostrils

Que 13. Differentiation between antemortem and post-mortem abrasions are difficult in cases of-

a) Hanging

b) Strangulation

c) Drowning

d) Burns

Answer – c) Drowning

Que 14. All are true about bruise except-

a) Can be produced after death

b) Difficult to differentiate in decomposed body

c) Bruising of the arms may be a sign of struggle

d) None 

Answer – d) None

Que 15. A 20 years old male with alleged history of assault brought to the examination of injuries. The examination done after 5 days of the incidence and it was observed that his upper incisor was missing. All features can be seen during examination, except-

a) Organized blood clots within the alveolar cavity

b) Fibrous tissues within the alveolar cavity

c) Smooth rounded rim of socket

d) Bony rim is sharp and feathered

Answer – c) Smooth rounded rim of socket