Forensic Medicine Practice

20 learning units • 10 questions per unit • 200 explained questions

Module 10 — Asphyxia & Neck Compression

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Question 01 • Single best answer

Which statement about petechiae is correct?

A. They uniquely prove strangulation B. They establish exact time of death C. They are nonspecific and may be absent in asphyxial deaths D. They occur in every asphyxial death

Question 02 • Single best answer

What distinguishes choking from smothering in basic terminology?

A. Choking always means homicide B. Smothering requires a fractured hyoid C. Choking involves internal airway obstruction; smothering obstructs external openings D. The terms describe only blood loss

Question 03 • Single best answer

What supplies the compressive force in hanging?

A. Only a manually applied grip B. Only direct chest compression C. Body weight acting through the ligature D. Only a toxic gas

Question 04 • Single best answer

Does hanging require the body to be completely off the ground?

A. Yes; any ground contact excludes it B. Yes; both feet must be airborne C. No; partial suspension can occur D. No; but neck compression then becomes impossible

Question 05 • Single best answer

What does the absence of a hyoid fracture establish?

A. It proves the event was natural B. It does not by itself exclude neck compression C. It proves no force was applied D. It uniquely identifies a different cause

Question 06 • Single best answer

A survivor reports neck compression but has minimal visible injury and new voice change. What is appropriate?

A. Dismissal because marks are absent B. Urgent clinical assessment for occult injury C. Delaying all care until bruising develops D. Certifying no compression occurred

Question 07 • Single best answer

Which factor is needed to evaluate manner in a suspected hanging death?

A. Ligature color alone B. A universal rule that every hanging is suicide C. Scene and investigative context D. The examiner's first impression alone

Question 08 • Single best answer

Which mechanism can contribute to traumatic asphyxia?

A. Isolated superficial skin discoloration only B. A dental filling C. Severe restriction of chest movement D. A healed ankle scar

Question 09 • Single best answer

Why are rescue records important in airway-obstruction cases?

A. Treatment makes the original event impossible to assess B. A removed object proves intent C. Treatment may remove the obstruction before later examination D. Only police observations can be relevant

Question 10 • Single best answer

When evidence remains insufficient to specify an asphyxial mechanism, what is defensible?

A. Selecting the most dramatic mechanism B. Treating every nonspecific sign as conclusive C. A qualified conclusion acknowledging uncertainty D. Altering the history to fit a favored diagnosis