ABMDI EXAM – DEMONSTRATING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE 200 Practice Questions with
Correct Answers & Detailed Explanations
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Section 1: Death Investigation Protocols & Legal Authority (Questions 1–30)
1. The primary responsibility of a medicolegal death investigator (MDI) is to:
A. Determine the cause and manner of death independently
B. Investigate deaths as mandated by law and report findings to the medical examiner or
coroner
C. Pronounce death at the scene
D. Provide grief counseling to the family
Correct Answer: B. Investigate deaths as mandated by law and report findings to the medical
examiner or coroner
Explanation: The MDI conducts the investigation, gathers evidence, and documents findings for
the medical examiner or coroner, who determines cause and manner of death. The MDI does
not independently determine cause/manner.
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2. A medical examiner system is distinguished from a coroner system primarily by:
A. The use of elected officials
B. The requirement that the medical examiner be a physician, often a forensic pathologist
C. The method of death certification
D. The jurisdiction over deaths
,Correct Answer: B. The requirement that the medical examiner be a physician, often a forensic
pathologist
Explanation: Medical examiner systems are led by appointed physicians (often forensic
pathologists), while coroner systems may have elected officials who may not be physicians.
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3. Which of the following deaths is generally NOT within the jurisdiction of the medical
examiner/coroner?
A. Sudden unexpected death of a healthy person
B. Death of a patient with end-stage cancer under hospice care with a terminal diagnosis
C. Death resulting from a motor vehicle accident
D. Death due to suspected suicide
Correct Answer: B. Death of a patient with end-stage cancer under hospice care with a terminal
diagnosis
Explanation: Deaths from natural causes with a known terminal illness and under the care of a
physician (including hospice) are typically not reportable, unless there are suspicious
circumstances. The other options are reportable.
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4. The term “mechanism of death” refers to:
A. The underlying cause of death
B. The physiological derangement that leads to death
C. The manner of death
D. The events that resulted in the injury
,Correct Answer: B. The physiological derangement that leads to death
Explanation: Mechanism of death is the physiologic process (e.g., arrhythmia, exsanguination,
cerebral hypoxia) that results from the cause of death. Cause is the disease or injury; manner is
the classification (homicide, suicide, etc.).
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5. A death is considered “reportable” to the medical examiner if:
A. The deceased was under 50 years of age
B. The death occurred within 24 hours of admission to a hospital
C. The death is sudden, unexpected, or occurs under suspicious circumstances
D. The deceased had a history of heart disease
Correct Answer: C. The death is sudden, unexpected, or occurs under suspicious circumstances
Explanation: Reportable deaths include those that are sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious,
or occur in custody or without a physician in attendance. Age alone is not a reportable criterion.
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6. The “cause of death” is defined as:
A. The manner in which death occurred (homicide, suicide, etc.)
B. The disease or injury that initiated the lethal sequence of events
C. The physiological event that led to cardiac arrest
D. The final event that caused death
Correct Answer: B. The disease or injury that initiated the lethal sequence of events
, Explanation: Cause of death is the specific disease or injury that sets in motion the chain of
events leading to death. Manner describes the circumstances (homicide, suicide, accident,
natural, undetermined).
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7. Which of the following is an example of a “natural” manner of death?
A. A gunshot wound to the chest
B. A fatal myocardial infarction in a person with no known heart disease
C. A fatal overdose of heroin
D. A fall from a ladder
Correct Answer: B. A fatal myocardial infarction in a person with no known heart disease
Explanation: Natural deaths result from disease or physiological processes. Gunshot wound is
homicide/suicide/accident; drug overdose is accident/suicide/undetermined; fall is accident.
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8. Which of the following is an example of a “homicide” manner of death?
A. A death caused by a police officer in the line of duty
B. A death caused by a driver who accidentally struck a pedestrian
C. A death caused by a physician’s error during surgery
D. A death caused by a person acting in self-defense
Correct Answer: A. A death caused by a police officer in the line of duty
Correct Answers & Detailed Explanations
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Section 1: Death Investigation Protocols & Legal Authority (Questions 1–30)
1. The primary responsibility of a medicolegal death investigator (MDI) is to:
A. Determine the cause and manner of death independently
B. Investigate deaths as mandated by law and report findings to the medical examiner or
coroner
C. Pronounce death at the scene
D. Provide grief counseling to the family
Correct Answer: B. Investigate deaths as mandated by law and report findings to the medical
examiner or coroner
Explanation: The MDI conducts the investigation, gathers evidence, and documents findings for
the medical examiner or coroner, who determines cause and manner of death. The MDI does
not independently determine cause/manner.
---
2. A medical examiner system is distinguished from a coroner system primarily by:
A. The use of elected officials
B. The requirement that the medical examiner be a physician, often a forensic pathologist
C. The method of death certification
D. The jurisdiction over deaths
,Correct Answer: B. The requirement that the medical examiner be a physician, often a forensic
pathologist
Explanation: Medical examiner systems are led by appointed physicians (often forensic
pathologists), while coroner systems may have elected officials who may not be physicians.
---
3. Which of the following deaths is generally NOT within the jurisdiction of the medical
examiner/coroner?
A. Sudden unexpected death of a healthy person
B. Death of a patient with end-stage cancer under hospice care with a terminal diagnosis
C. Death resulting from a motor vehicle accident
D. Death due to suspected suicide
Correct Answer: B. Death of a patient with end-stage cancer under hospice care with a terminal
diagnosis
Explanation: Deaths from natural causes with a known terminal illness and under the care of a
physician (including hospice) are typically not reportable, unless there are suspicious
circumstances. The other options are reportable.
---
4. The term “mechanism of death” refers to:
A. The underlying cause of death
B. The physiological derangement that leads to death
C. The manner of death
D. The events that resulted in the injury
,Correct Answer: B. The physiological derangement that leads to death
Explanation: Mechanism of death is the physiologic process (e.g., arrhythmia, exsanguination,
cerebral hypoxia) that results from the cause of death. Cause is the disease or injury; manner is
the classification (homicide, suicide, etc.).
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5. A death is considered “reportable” to the medical examiner if:
A. The deceased was under 50 years of age
B. The death occurred within 24 hours of admission to a hospital
C. The death is sudden, unexpected, or occurs under suspicious circumstances
D. The deceased had a history of heart disease
Correct Answer: C. The death is sudden, unexpected, or occurs under suspicious circumstances
Explanation: Reportable deaths include those that are sudden, unexpected, violent, suspicious,
or occur in custody or without a physician in attendance. Age alone is not a reportable criterion.
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6. The “cause of death” is defined as:
A. The manner in which death occurred (homicide, suicide, etc.)
B. The disease or injury that initiated the lethal sequence of events
C. The physiological event that led to cardiac arrest
D. The final event that caused death
Correct Answer: B. The disease or injury that initiated the lethal sequence of events
, Explanation: Cause of death is the specific disease or injury that sets in motion the chain of
events leading to death. Manner describes the circumstances (homicide, suicide, accident,
natural, undetermined).
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7. Which of the following is an example of a “natural” manner of death?
A. A gunshot wound to the chest
B. A fatal myocardial infarction in a person with no known heart disease
C. A fatal overdose of heroin
D. A fall from a ladder
Correct Answer: B. A fatal myocardial infarction in a person with no known heart disease
Explanation: Natural deaths result from disease or physiological processes. Gunshot wound is
homicide/suicide/accident; drug overdose is accident/suicide/undetermined; fall is accident.
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8. Which of the following is an example of a “homicide” manner of death?
A. A death caused by a police officer in the line of duty
B. A death caused by a driver who accidentally struck a pedestrian
C. A death caused by a physician’s error during surgery
D. A death caused by a person acting in self-defense
Correct Answer: A. A death caused by a police officer in the line of duty
