Case Analysis & Practical Application Flashcards
7 cards from real ABFM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Case Analysis & Practical Application flashcards as text
A body is recovered from a house fire with severe charring. At autopsy, which finding definitively indicates the victim was alive during the fire?
Answer: Carbon monoxide saturation of 60% in blood
Elevated carboxyhemoglobin (carbon monoxide saturation) in blood proves the victim was alive and breathing during the fire, as CO accumulates only through respiration.
In a sexual assault case, a forensic nurse collects a vaginal swab 72 hours post-assault. Which biological material is most likely to still yield a male DNA profile?
Answer: Non-motile spermatozoa heads
Non-motile sperm heads with intact DNA can persist in the vaginal vault for up to 72–96 hours, whereas motility ceases within hours and PSA degrades more rapidly.
A forensic expert testifies about blood spatter at a homicide scene. Low-velocity impact spatter measuring 6–10 mm in diameter with circular to slightly elliptical shapes most likely resulted from:
Answer: Blunt force trauma at walking speed
Low-velocity impact spatter (6–10 mm diameter, rounded) is characteristic of dripping blood or blunt force trauma at low velocities, not high-velocity gunshot wounds.
An inmate is found unconscious in a cell with miosis, bradycardia, excessive salivation, and bronchospasm. Toxicology shows a cholinesterase level of 15% of normal. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Organophosphate poisoning from contraband pesticide
Cholinergic toxidrome with depressed cholinesterase activity is pathognomonic for organophosphate poisoning, which inhibits acetylcholinesterase.
A forensic anthropologist is asked to determine age-at-death from skeletal remains of an adult. Which skeletal indicator provides the most reliable estimate for individuals over age 50?
Answer: Dental root translucency
Dental root translucency increases predictably with age and provides the most accurate estimates for individuals over 50 when multiple skeletal age markers converge.
During a custody dispute, a physician alleges a child has been sexually abused based solely on a finding of a posterior hymenal transection. What is the most appropriate forensic response?
Answer: Note that this finding is suspicious but requires correlation with history and behavioral findings
A posterior hymenal transection is suspicious for penetrating trauma but must be interpreted in the context of history and behavioral indicators, as no single genital finding is definitively diagnostic of abuse.
A forensic toxicologist is asked about the significance of a blood benzodiazepine level detected post-mortem. Which factor most complicates interpretation?
Answer: Post-mortem redistribution can significantly elevate blood levels compared to ante-mortem levels
Post-mortem redistribution from drug-rich tissues (brain, liver) into central blood can dramatically elevate benzodiazepine levels above those present at the time of death.