ABMDI Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield ABMDI facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. At a suspected drug overdose scene, an MDI finds an empty prescription bottle. What information from the label is most critical to document? → Drug name, dosage, prescribed quantity, dispensing date, and prescribing physician
2. On a death certificate, what is the 'immediate cause of death'? → The final disease or condition directly causing death
3. What is the primary concern when an MDI suspects a clandestine drug laboratory at a scene? → Personal safety from toxic chemical exposure and explosion hazards before entering
4. A contact range gunshot wound to the head most characteristically produces which entrance wound morphology? → A stellate (star-shaped) wound from muzzle gases expanding beneath the scalp
5. What is the primary responsibility of a medicolegal death investigator when first arriving at a death scene? → Secure and systematically assess the scene before disturbing anything
6. When documenting a suspected unattended natural death, which action should the MDI perform first upon arrival at the scene? → Ensure scene safety and confirm law enforcement has secured the area
7. A body is discovered with a distinctive cherry-red color to the skin and lividity. Which toxic exposure does this suggest? → Carbon monoxide poisoning
8. Which of the following is the LEAST appropriate container for packaging wet, blood-stained clothing collected from a death scene for long-term storage? → A sealed plastic bag.
9. Surgical opening of the abdomen → Exploratory laporatomy
10. What feature most reliably distinguishes a gunshot entrance wound from an exit wound? → Entrance wounds typically have an abrasion collar while exit wounds do not
11. When investigating a child homicide, which additional resource team is commonly activated in many jurisdictions? → Child Death Review Team (CDRT) or Multidisciplinary Investigation Team (MDT)
12. When assessing lividity at a death scene, what condition would suggest the body has been moved after death? → Fixed lividity on the anterior while the body is found face up
13. A suicide determination requires which of the following elements to be established? → Evidence that the decedent intentionally caused their own death
14. Which of the following BEST defines 'cause of death' on a death certificate? → The disease, injury, or abnormal condition that directly caused the cessation of life
15. A death certificate lists: Line A — Respiratory failure, Line B — Pneumonia, Line C — HIV/AIDS. Which entry is the underlying cause of death? → HIV/AIDS
16. At what approximate range from the muzzle does stippling (tattooing) typically appear for a standard handgun? → At intermediate range, generally up to approximately 2–4 feet
17. To perform autopsies → To determine the cause and manner of death
18. Which of the following conditions must typically be present for a death to be certified as suicide? → Intentional self-inflicted lethal act with evidence supporting intent to die
19. What type of information is crucial to collect during the interview of witnesses and family members in a death investigation? → Medical history, medications, and recent activities of the deceased
20. A medicolegal death investigator discovers a firearm at a scene. What is the correct initial action? → Leave it in place, document its position, and notify law enforcement
21. A decomposed body is found in a residence. What environmental condition most significantly accelerates decomposition? → High humidity and warm temperatures
22. What does 'blood alcohol concentration' (BAC) measure and what is the legal limit for driving in most US states? → The grams of alcohol per 100 mL of blood; 0.08%
23. Conjunctival petechial hemorrhages in medicolegal death investigation are most significant because they may indicate: → Increased intrathoracic or venous pressure consistent with asphyxia
24. What is the primary purpose of collecting a control sample at a death scene? → To identify background contamination at the scene that might confound laboratory analysis
25. Which of the following is the most reliable scientific method for identifying human remains when only bone fragments are available? → Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis from bone
26. A death scene includes a computer that may contain relevant communications. The MDI's appropriate action is to: → Leave the computer for law enforcement to handle under proper digital evidence protocols
27. In a medicolegal context, what is "livor mortis"? → The settling of blood in the lower parts of the body after death
28. Which of the following deaths would most likely require medical examiner jurisdiction in most US states? → Sudden unexpected death of a healthy 35-year-old
29. Which wound finding is most indicative of a close-range (but not contact) gunshot wound when soot is absent? → Stippling (tattooing) without soot deposition
30. Which of the following is considered a primary, scientific method for establishing a positive identification of a decedent? → Friction ridge analysis (fingerprinting).