Question 1

A 4-year-old previously healthy child ingests a 100 ml bottle containing a clear liquid he found under the kitchen sink at home. The child is observed to develop central nervous system depression over the next 6 hours. Acidosis is documented on admission to the hospital. Three weeks later, it is noted that the child's visual acuity is markedly decreased. Which of the following chemical substances was most likely present in the liquid ingested by this child?

A Cyanide

B Mercuric chloride

C Ethanol

D Organophosphate

E Methanol

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Question 2

A 17-year-old driver was involved in a motor vehicle accident. He was thrown from the vehicle and sustained extensive blunt trauma with multiple fractures of the left tibia and fibula, left femur, and right humerus. He was in stable condition until three days after admission, when he suddenly became comatose and died. Autopsy is most likely to reveal which of the following gross pathologic findings?

A Multiple cerebral white matter petechiae

B Large thromboembolus in the pulmonic trunk

C Hematoma in the epidural space

D 500 cc of blood in the pericardial cavity

E Air in the left pleural space with marked atelectasis

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Question 3

A 20-year-old man is combative when police arrive at a house from which the neighbors heard screaming and breaking of glass for the past hour. He suddenly collapses. He is taken to the hospital, requiring resuscitation with defibrillation en route to try and establish a normal cardiac rhythm. On physical examination his vital signs show temperature 40 C, respirations 36/minute, heart rate 110/minute, and blood pressure 175/90 mm Hg. His pupils are dilated. He dies within an hour. Autopsy reveals no signs of major trauma. Which of the following drugs of abuse is most likely to produce these findings?

A Ethanol

B Heroin

C Cocaine

D Methamphetamine

E Marijuana

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Question 4

A 70-year-old man with a medical history of coronary atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure is beaten about the head and robbed. He is unconscious when admitted to the hospital. During his hospital course over the next two weeks he develops bronchopneumonia, sepsis and renal failure. He dies four days later. Which of the following conditions is the most likely underlying cause of death for this man?

A Blunt trauma to the head

B Bronchopneumonia

C Coronary atherosclerosis

D Renal failure

E Sepsis

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Question 5

A 30-year-old woman has been abused by her husband on multiple occasions, including punching her in the face and abdomen. After the most recent incident, she claims that he attacked her with a knife. Which of the following types of injuries are you most likely to find on physical examination of this woman which suggests that the husband also attacked her with a knife?

A Contusion

B Incised wound

C Abrasion

D Laceration

E Puncture

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Question 6

On a trip to the Caribbean, a 29-year-old man takes a scuba diving course. He goes on a wreck dive to a depth of 50 meters (170 feet). His diving partner signals to him that it is time to ascend, but he continues to explore the wreck, noticing some time later than he is running low on air. He panics and ascends to the surface quickly. Within a couple of hours he then develops a headache, tightness in his chest, and difficulty breathing. He experiences generalized pain in all extremities. Which of the following injuries is the most likely cause for his findings?

A Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy

B Hypothermia

C Free radical cellular injury

D Apoptosis

E Nitrogen bubble formation

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Question 7

A medical resident puts down the immediate cause of death as "Prematurity" followed by the underlying cause of death as "Hyaline membrane disease" on a death certificate form. Which of the following statements regarding this death certificate is most appropriate?

A The case should be investigated by the medical examiner

B A fetal death certificate should be used

C The order is not correct

D This represents a finding with sudden infant death syndrome

E A congenital infection was present

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Question 8

A 66-year old man has an episode of hemoptysis and comes to his physician. A chest x-ray shows a 5 cm mass in the left lung. Fine needle aspiration is performed and cells from the mass are examined microscopically, revealing a squamous cell carcinoma. The man is a non-smoker. Environmental exposure to which of the following agents is most likely to be a risk factor for development of this man's lung cancer?

A Radon

B Silica

C Mold

D Coal dust

E Ozone

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Question 9

A 20-year-old man was trapped inside a burning house and suffered 20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns to his arms. Though initially stable, he died 3 weeks later. Whichc of the following reasons most likely explains his death?

A The burns were full thickness.

B He had an inhalation injury.

C The burns were extensive.

D He had severe hypoxia during the fire.

E He had congestive heart failure.

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Question 10

A 9-year-old girl is brought to the emergency department by her aunt. On physical examination there are multiple contusions of varying ages on the head, torso, arms, and thighs. A chest radiograph reveals a healing 6th rib fracture on the left. Her weight is slightly under that expected for age. The child appears listless. Which of the following conditions is the most likely diagnosis?

A Down syndrome

B Scurvy

C Child abuse

D Meningococcemia

E A fall down the stairs

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Question 11

A 68-year-old woman is having minor elective eye surgery performed at a free-standing surgi-center. About 5 to 10 patients undergo various procedures each morning. She is next in line for surgery and has just been given pre-operative medications. Several minutes later, the nurse comes into the room where she is lying and discovers that she is not breathing. A crash cart and defibrillator for advanced cardiac life support are not available, so the nurse and doctor use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and external chest compressions, but to no avail. At autopsy, the patient is found to have about 30% coronary atherosclerosis with 20% narrowing, a 300 gm heart, mild pulmonary emphysema, and minimal hepatic steatosis. A toxicology screen is negative for drugs of abuse and yields only traces of the medications used prior to surgery. Which of the following statements regarding this death is most accurate?

A The manner of death is undetermined

B A myocardial infarction is the immediate cause of death

C The prior medical history needs to be obtained

D This is a therapeutic misadventure

E The underlying cause of death is chronic alcoholism

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Question 12

A 70-year-old man died suddenly and unexpectedly within 6 hours of admission to the hospital for a high fever that has been present for only 4 hours. At autopsy, there are no significant external findings on examination of the body. However, on opening the cranial cavity, the external surface of the markedly edematous brain shows an extensive yellow-tan exudate obscuring the sulci. Which of the following statements on this man's death certificate is most appropriate?

A Underlying cause of death is "head trauma"

B Manner of death is "accident"

C Immediate cause of death is "meningitis"

D Underlying cause of death is "pulmonary tuberculosis"

E Immediate cause of death is "stroke"

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Question 13

A 50-year-old man has had increasing dyspnea for 12 years, but no chronic cough. On physical examination he is afebrile. A chest radiograph reveals diffuse interstitial fibrosis involving both lungs. These findings are most likely produced by which of the following environmental exposures?

A Inorganic dusts

B Nitrous oxides

C Organic dusts

D Cigarette smoke

E Radon gas

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Question 14

Therapeutic gamma irradiation is given to a 55-year-old woman for treatment of a breast carcinoma. The treatments occur over 6 weeks. The neoplasm diminishes in size during this time. Which of the following mechanisms of cellular injury is most likely to account for the efficacy of this radiation therapy?

A Genetic mutations

B Hyperthermia

C NK cell lysis

D Free radical formation

E Vascular thromboses

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Question 15

A single, round, 9 mm penetrating wound on the forehead extends into the cranial cavity of a 31-year-old man examined at autopsy by the medical examiner. On the skin surface surrounding this wound is a 6 cm diameter area with grey-black stippling. Which of the following mechanisms of injury is most likely to produce these findings?

A Patterned blunt force injury

B Intermediate range gunshot wound

C Stab wound from an ice pick

D Contact range gunshot wound

E Long range shotgun wound

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Question 16

A 72-year-old woman was found dead in the bathtub in her home. She had been visited by her daughter a few hours earlier and she appeared to be in good health. At autopsy, her brain grossly shows subarachnoid hemorrhage along with bilateral contusions inferiorly on frontal lobes. Which of the following accidental injuries is most likely to be the underlying cause of death?

A Drowning

B Electrocution

C Strangulation

D Heat stroke

E A fall

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Question 17

A 46-year-old man has had increased sputum production and a chronic cough for the past 5 months. On physical examination there are expiratory wheezes heard over the right lung anteriorly. A chest x-ray demonstrates a 6 cm right perihilar mass. Laboratory studies include a sputum cytology, with the report that "Atypical cells are present suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma." Which of the following statements is most likely to be associated with these findings?

A He had exposure to silica dust

B He had exposure to bird dust

C His was born with cystic fibrosis

D He has acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

E His house has increased levels of radon gas

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Question 18

A couple returns home from a social event to find that their infant son is dead. The babysitter who was caring for the infant stated that she called emergency medical technicians after she checked on the infant and found him not breathing, and they could not revive the baby. The babysitter states that the child had been well an hour prior to this event. Which of the following findings in the body of the deceased infant documented by the medical examiner would most strongly suggest a non-natural mode of death?

A Jaundice

B Blue-purple contusion on forehead

C Cyanosis

D Retinal hemorrhages

E Pulmonary edema

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Question 19

A study is performed using autopsy findings from medical examiner cases of persons who were homeless and injection drug users. Toxicologic data is analyzed from these cases. For those persons who were found to have detectable heroin in liver tissue, which of the following conditions is the most likely immediate cause of death?

A Overdosage

B Nephropathy

C Bone marrow failure

D Infection

E Pneumoconiosis

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Question 20

A 67-year-old man with a 60 pack year history of smoking was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (high grade glioma) last year. He was seen by his physician a week ago and was in stable condition. He died suddenly at home last night. The physician must certify the death of this patient. Which of the following statements on the death certificate would be most appropriate to make?

A The immediate cause of death is 'Cardiac arrest'

B The mode of death is 'Accident'

C The time interval for the immediate cause of death is 7 days

D 'Smoking' should be listed under 'Other Conditions'

E The underlying cause of death is 'Glioblastoma multiforme'

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Question 21

Police officers respond to reports that an unclothed young man is running through the back yards of homes in a suburban neighborhood, climbing over fences and thrashing through swimming pools. The officers spot him on top of a telephone pole. Toxicologic analysis of the man's blood is most likely to show which of the following substances?

A Methaqualone

B Benzodiazepine

C Cocaine

D Phencyclidine

E Ethanol

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Question 22

Multiple deaths result from a shooting in a classroom at a high school. One of the suspects was reportedly seen earlier in the same classroom on the day of the shooting. What finding on the victims by the medical examiner is most suggestive that the assailant was in the same room, close to the victims as they were shot:

A The size of the entrance wound matches the caliber of the bullet fired

B An exit wound is present

C An entrance wound is present on the anterior aspect of the torso

D There is gunpowder stippling (tattooing) on the skin

E The exit wound is larger in size than the entrance wound

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Question 23

A 16-year-old driver of a motor vehicle hit a fixed object at a speed of 60 km/hr in a vehicular accident. This driver's automobile had no airbag and she was not wearing any restraints. She incurs blunt trauma to the abdomen. Which of the following injuries is the most probable immediate serious consequence of this accident?

A Skin abrasions

B Abdominal wall contusions

C Colonic rupture

D Rib fractures

E Aortic laceration

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Question 24

A 64-year-old woman falls down some stairs at work. She suffers a right hip fracture for which she is hospitalized. She undergoes surgery for placement of a hip prosthesis. She is recuperating from the surgery when she suddenly develops dyspnea and expires in only a few minutes despite resuscitative measures. Autopsy reveals a saddle pulmonary embolus. A 1 cm infiltrating ductal carcinoma is found in the right breast, but there are no metastases. Which of the following statements regarding death certification is most accurate in this patient?

A The immediate cause of death is cardiopulmonary arrest

B This is a therapeutic misadventure

C The mode (manner) of death is accident

D Breast carcinoma is a contributing cause of death

E Pulmonary embolism is the underlying cause of death

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Question 25

A 25-year-old woman is brought to the emergency room in an obtunded condition. She is afebrile. Laboratory studies show a serum sodium of 140 mmol/L, potassium 3.8 mmol/L, chloride 106 mmol/L, CO2 25 mmol/L, glucose 58 mg/dL, creatinine 1.1 mg/dL, AST 2150 U/L, ALT 2876 U/L, lipase 33 U/L, and calcium 9.0 mg/dL. She dies a day later. The microscopic appearance of her liver at autopsy demonstrates extensive necrosis of hepatocytes. Ingestion of which of the following substances is the most likely cause for these findings?

A Acetaminophen

B Ethanol

C Lead

D Methanol

E Vitamin A

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Question 26

A 26-year-old healthy man visiting Arches National Park in southern Utah leaves the campground heading for double "O" arch some 8 km distant in 40 degree Celsius heat, ignoring the warning sign about carrying plenty of water. He collapses and is brought back to the park headquarters. Which of the following findings on examination by the emergency medical services technician is most likely to suggest that he has a condition unrelated to the hike?

A Cardiac arrhythmias

B Hypovolemia

C Peripheral vasodilation

D Dyspnea

E Muscle cramps

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Question 27

A 31-year-old man is working on the ungrounded electrical wiring in his house. He has not flipped the switch on the circuit breaker. He accidentally touches the bare wire of a 220 volt 20 ampere circuit. Which of the following is most likely to be the major life-threatening problem associated with this event?

A Thermal burns

B Pulmonary edema

C Hyperthermia

D Cardiac arrhythmias

E Vascular thrombosis

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Question 28

A saddle-bronc rider in a rodeo was first crushed into the gate, then thrown from the horse, then stepped on and kicked by the horse, then dropped from the stretcher by the paramedics carrying him out of the arena. He sustained right femoral and left humeral fractures. Two days later he developed respiratory difficulty. Which of the following is the most likely cause for his death?

A Vasculitis

B Pulmonary thromboembolism

C Aspiration of gastric contents

D Fat embolism

E Pulmonary contusion

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Question 29

A 13-year-old girl is playing soccer and runs into the post at the goal mouth, striking her left thigh. The coach runs out to determine the extent of the injury and he notes that there is intact skin with no bleeding at the site of injury. There is initially some swelling, and by the end of the day a purplish color is present beneath the skin. Which of the following terms best describes her leg injury?

A Laceration

B Puncture

C Abrasion

D Incised wound

E Contusion

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Question 30

An 11-month-old infant is left left in a motor vehicle for 3 hours in an unshaded parking lot in summer with the doors shut and the windows of the vehicle rolled up. This infan is at greatest risk for the development of whichc of the following complications?

A Asphyxia

B Sudden infant death syndrome

C Hyperthermia

D Hypovolemia

E Retinopathy

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Question 31

A 74-year-old man has been under the care of his physician for 9 years. He suffered an acute myocardial infarction 2 years ago and has since had poor exercise tolerance. His only laboratory abnormal test finding is a fasting blood glucose of 162 mg/dl two weeks ago. In the past his fasting blood glucose has ranged from 140 to 180 mg/dL. The physician is called one evening by his wife, who states that he is being taken to the emergency room, but he dies before the physician arrives. Which of the following statements is most appropriate regarding death certification in this case?

A The underlying cause of death is diabetes mellitus

B This sudden and unexpected death is under the jurisdiction of the medical examiner

C A contributing cause of death is acute myocardial infarction

D The immediate cause of death is cardiac arrest

E The mortuary is responsible for filling out the death certificate

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Question 32

On a cool Fall day, April 29, 1996, a man walked into the Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur and began shooting with a .223 caliber semiautomatic rifle at all persons in and around the cafe. Many victims were shot as they were running away to exit the building. The assailant continued to fire at passers-by from the building. In the late afternoon, when he was finally apprehended, 35 people were dead. Which of the following types of wounds did the medical examiner find on most of the victims:

A Large 4 cm round "cookie cutter" wounds with wad marks

B Star-shaped 1 to 2 cm lacerations with soot

C Small 0.6 to 0.7 cm round skin defects

D 5 cm area of powder stippling around 1/2 inch skin defects

E Irregular 1 to 3 cm long lacerations

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Question 33

A 55-year-old man has a history of diabetes mellitus, type II. He has the sudden onset of severe chest pain and is admitted to the hospital. Vital signs reveal temperature 36.9 C, pulse 88/minute, respirations 23/minute, and blood pressure 155/110 mm Hg. A chest radiograph reveals widening of the mediastinum. An angiogram reveals a tear of the proximal aorta. He is taken to surgery, and a hemopericardium is evacuated, but then he dies during the operative procedure. Whichc of the following is the most appropriate as the immediate cause of death given on the death certificate of this man?

A Cardiopulmonary arrest

B Diabetes mellitus

C Aortic dissection

D Hypertension

E Therapeutic misadventure

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Question 34

A group of neo-nazis sets fire to the house of an immigrant family. Firemen find the bodies of three children trapped inside. Though the coroner cannot find burn injuries to the skin of the children, he is able to prove that the deaths were due to the fire by finding:

A Staphylococcus aureus in the blood

B Fat emboli in the brain

C Anasarca

D Conjunctival petechiae

E Tracheal inhalation injury

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Question 35

The body of a 17-year-old adolescent male is found near a dumpster behind the high school he attends. External examination reveals a single 9 mm circular wound on the right temple, with small surrounding lacerations and an abrasion ring. Sooting is found on his right hand. Autopsy reveals that he has widespread malignant lymphoma. The bullet is recovered beneath the scalp on the left side of his head. Which manner of death is most likely for this situation?

A Accident

B Homicide

C Suicide

D Natural

E Undetermined

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Question 36

The body of a 13-year-old girl is found in her bed at home by Sheriff's deputies, who were called to the scene by a neighbor after he heard screaming sounds. Physical examination of the body reveals no external signs of trauma and no other abnormalities. A complete autopsy reveals no internal trauma or other abnormalities. Which of the following mechanisms of injury best explains these findings?

A Manual strangulation

B Carbon monoxide poisoning

C Forcible rape

D Smothering with a pillow

E Striking the head with a baseball bat

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Question 37

A study is performed analyzing patterns of injury. One type of injury, typically made with a blunt object, can be seen on physical examination and can be dated by the color change that takes place over time. Which of the following terms is most likely to describe this injury?

A Laceration

B Abrasion

C Puncture

D Contusion

E Incised wound

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Question 38:

A 20-year-old man has joined a group of hikers ascending a mountain peak 8000 meters in height. Beginning at the 5000 meter level, he develops a worsening headache and increasing respiratory distress. He decides to press on. He spends a sleepless night while camped at 6000 meters. The next day, he becomes disoriented and cannot stay on the trail. While being attended by other members of the climbing party, he suddenly loses consciousness and cannot be resuscitated. Which of the following pathologic changes is most likely to be present in this man?

A Bronchopneumonia

B Cerebral edema

C Arterial air embolus

D Subdural hematoma

E Coronary artery thrombosis

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Question 39:

A child ingests 50 tablets in a bottle that she found on a table in the house. Two hours later, the child becomes progressively obtunded and then lapses into a coma. The child is taken to a local hospital, where supportive care is given. The child exhibits tachypnea and tachycardia, but is afebrile. Laboratory studies with blood gas analysis show metabolic acidosis. Which of the following substances did this child most likely ingest?

A Sodium hypochlorite

B Lead arsenate

C Methyl alcohol

D Acetylsalicylic acid

E Mercuric chloride

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Question 40

A 74-year-old man suffers extensive thermal burn injuries in a natural gas explosion and fire while lighting the furnace in the basement of his house. He has 40% total body surface area burns. Which of the following factors is most likely to determine whether skin grafting will be required?

A His age.

B Extent of body surface area burned.

C Inhalation injury.

D Presence of infection.

E Thickness of the burn

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Question 41

The "employee of the year" is rewarded with a close-in parking space, but this space is very icy in winter, and she falls getting out of her car. She scrapes her arm on the pavement. She goes to the employee clinic, where the physician's assistant observes only a superficial epidermal injury in which the skin is not completely broken. Which of the following terms is most appropriate for the arm injury to this woman?

A Abrasion.

B Laceration.

C Puncture.

D Incised wound.

E Contusion.

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Question 42

While driving a Williams-Renault formula one grand prix racing car in pursuit of the world driving championship at a race run in Italy, the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna loses control and crashes. He dies moments later. The mode (manner) of death in this case is:

A Natural

B Accident

C Homicide

D Suicide

E Undetermined

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Question 43

In an Agatha Christie mystery, the plot centers around a homicide that is made to look like a suicide. Though the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot eventually solves this mystery, the mode of death should have been obvious by inspection of the deceased's body, because he was alleged to have put the gun to his head and fired. Whichc of the following clue(s) is most likely to suggest homicide as the manner of death?

A The entrance wound on the left temple showed irregular lacerations

B Though the victim was from the south of England, he was wearing argyle socks

C The victim had no sooting of his hand, nor gunshot residue in the entrance wound

D No exit wound could be found anywhere on the victim's body

E The only weapon at the scene was a .38 caliber revolver, and a single bullet had been fired

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Question 44

What type of object would you expect to have been found at the scene of the death of a woman with the following description of a wound by the medical examiner: "The incised wound of the neck is gaping and exposes the larynx and cervical vertebral column. It measures 5 1/2 inches in length and is found at the level of the superior border of the larynx":

A Rifle.

B Faulty electrical device.

C Shovel.

D Large brick.

E Knife.

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Question 45

Which of the following cases should be referred to the medical examiner to investigate and certify the death?

A A 58-year-old man with a history of atherosclerotic heart disease dies following coronary bypass surgery.

B A 75-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease dies from bronchopneumonia in a nursing home.

C A 22-year-old man dies suddenly and unexpectedly while playing a high school football game.

D A 47-year-old homosexual man dies from Pneumocystis carinii (jirovecii) pneumonia.

E A 63-year-old woman dies from pulmonary thromboembolism following cholecystectomy.

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Question 46

A 95-year-old woman falls to the ground after tripping on the carpet in her house. She strikes the back of her head on the floor. She becomes more irritable, with headache and decreasing mentation over the next 3 weeks. Which of the following complications of her injury is she most likely to have developed?

A Intraventricular hemorrhage

B Subdural hematoma

C Infection with Mucor

D Vertebral artery laceration

E Epidural hematoma

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Question 47

Which of the following items listed as the immediate cause of death on a death certificate is NOT acceptable:

A Cardiorespiratory arrest.

B Bronchopneumonia.

C Acute myocardial infarction.

D Hyaline membrane disease.

E Pneumocystis carinii (jirovecii) pneumonia.

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Question 48

A baby is born at term and is of normal birth weight, with Apgar scores of 9 and 10 at 1 and 5 minutes. Baby and mother are sent home on the second day following delivery. The baby does fine and is gaining weight and developing normally and is 4 months old. However, one night the mother checks on the baby and finds the infant prone on the bed and not breathing. Paramedics are called, but the infant cannot be resuscitated. Which of the following is the most probable explanation for these findings?

A Group B streptococcal infection.

B Congenital heart disease.

C Ascorbic acid deficiency.

D Sudden infant death syndrome

E Galactosemia.

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Question 49

A 19-year-old man is taken to the emergency room after his mother finds him comatose on the floor of his room at home following a night of partying with his friends at a local club. Pertinent laboratory findings from a blood specimen taken postmortem include ALT of 830 U/L and AST of 1053 U/L, along with a significant amount of acetaminophen. Which of the following pre-existing conditions in the deceased is most likely to have contributed to this injury pattern?

A Diabetes mellitus

B Chronic ethanol ingestion

C Cigarette smoking

D Blunt force trauma

E Bipolar disorder

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Question 50

A 36-year-old woman dies suddenly and unexpectedly. She had started taking "fen-phen", a diet pill combination of dexfenfluramine and phentermine, several months ago in order to lose weight. Which of the following pathologic abnormalities is the medical examiner most likely to find in this woman?

A Extensive hepatic necrosis

B Pulmonary fibrosis

C Cardiac valvular sclerosis

D Pulmonary embolism

E Renal interstitial nephritis

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Question 51

An elderly man is found dead in his bed at home after paramedics are called by his neighbor, who noticed that the man was not out working in his garden as he usually did. His neighbor said that the victim seemed fine the night before when they went bowling. External examination of the body by the medical examiner shows no signs of external trauma. Which of the following environmental exposures best explains these findings?

A Radon gas

B Asbestos

C Ozone

D Carbon monoxide

E Lead

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Question 52

A 27-year-old G2P1 woman is in the 39th week of gestation. A screening ultrasound at 19 weeks revealed no abnormalities. She goes into labor and 6 hours later has a routine vaginal delivery of a term male. An intact placenta is delivered 5 minutes later. The infant's Apgar scores are 8 and 9 and 1 and 5 minutes. However, within 10 minutes she develops severe dyspnea and cyanosis, followed by seizures and coma. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this series of events?

A Disseminated intravascular coagulation

B Metastatic choriocarcinoma

C Cerebral infarction

D Amniotic fluid embolism

E Pulmonary infarction

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Question 53

A bomb strikes the embassy of the People's Republic of China one evening in Belgrade. Several persons are killed immediately by the blast. By which of the following mechanisms did the victims most likely die from this event:

A Asphyxiation

B Blunt force trauma

C Cardiopulmonary arrest

D Extensive burns

E Myocardial infarction

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Question 54

A 26-year-old woman is brought to the emergency room of a local hospital by her neighbor. She has 3 to 4 cm long linear incised wounds to the palms of the hands and to the ventral aspect of her wrists. Which of the following explanations offered by the woman for the appearance of these injuries are you most likely to believe?

A The dog bit me

B I fell down a flight of stairs

C My husband attacked me with a knife

D I was cleaning grass out of the lawn mower

E I was pulling arrows from my son's archery target

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Question 55

A 3-month-old infant is found dead by his mother late one evening. She had put him in bed on his stomach only an hour before, and he had shown no signs of distress. The baby had been doing well prior to that time, feeding well and gaining weight normally. The baby's term birth had followed an uncomplicated pregnancy. Which of the following is the medical examiner most likely to find at autopsy of this infant?

A Hyaline membrane disease

B Cerebral cytomegalovirus

C Tetralogy of Fallot

D Adrenal neuroblastoma

E No abnormalities

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Question 56

A 79-year-old woman is found unconscious in the bedroom by firemen who respond to a report of a house fire by her neighbor. She is taken to a local hospital. She is found to have partial thickness burns involving her head and neck and full thickness burns involving most of her torso and upper extremities. Bronchoscopy reveals no erythema or ulceration of the trachea mucosa. Which of the following features described here suggests the best prognosis?

A The extent of partial thickness burns involving just her head and neck

B The absence of burns involving her lower extremities

C The absence of an inhalation injury

D Her age

E The extent of full thickness burns involving her torso and arms

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