ABMDI Wound Pattern Analysis and Injury Classification 2

Question 1

The term 'hesitation wounds' in medicolegal death investigation typically refers to:

Accepted Answer

Shallow, tentative sharp force wounds often seen in suicidal cutting

Answer

Hesitation marks are shallow, parallel, tentative incised wounds often found in suicidal cutting deaths, reflecting the individual's initial reluctance before inflicting a deeper, lethal wound.

Question 2

Defensive wounds in homicidal sharp force deaths are most commonly found on:

Accepted Answer

The forearms, hands, and palms

Answer

Victims instinctively raise their hands and forearms to ward off an attack, resulting in defensive sharp force injuries to the ulnar surfaces of the forearms, palms, and fingers.

Question 3

Soot deposition at a gunshot entrance wound indicates the weapon was fired at:

Accepted Answer

Close range (generally within 6–12 inches of the target)

Answer

Soot (carbon particles from combustion) deposits on and around the entrance wound only when the muzzle is fired at close range, typically within 6–12 inches, because soot disperses rapidly over distance.

Question 4

A 'chop wound' is most typically produced by:

Accepted Answer

A heavy-bladed instrument such as a hatchet or machete

Answer

Chop wounds result from heavy-bladed instruments (hatchets, cleavers, machetes) that combine sharp-force cutting with significant blunt-force momentum, often cutting into bone.

Question 5

What defines a 'through-and-through' gunshot wound?

Accepted Answer

A wound in which the bullet enters and exits the body

Answer

A through-and-through gunshot wound has both entrance and exit wounds, meaning the projectile passed entirely through the body without being retained.

ABMDI - American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators Practice Test

ABMDI - American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators Practice Test

ABMDI Wound Pattern Analysis and Injury Classification 2