DEATH INVESTIGATION ABMDI EXAM 2026
MEDICOLEGAL DEATH SCENE PRACTICE SET
ANSWERS FULL SOLUTION
◉ What organs may be recovered for transplantation from brain
dead (respirator dependent) individuals?
Answer: Heart, lungs, liver, bone marrow, kidneys, pancreas
◉ Following the initial organ recovery, what tissues may be removed
from individuals with cardiac death (off the respirator)?
Answer: Corneas, skin, middle ears, bone, heart valves, tendons
◉ Eyes must be removed within ___ hours after death whereas the
other tissues may be removed up to 24 hours after death
Answer: 6
◉ When do ME/coroners refuse organ recovery?
Answer: In deaths of small children when there is suspected abuse,
SIDS, legally significant accidental deaths
◉ In __________ and _________, donation is usually allowed
Answer: Natural deaths and common accidents
,◉ What conditions would make someone ineligible for organ and or
tissue donation?
Answer: AIDS, sepsis, previous history of drug abuse, degenerative
disease of bone and/or nerve, cancer, hepatitis, dementia
◉ What are the 3 major sections of the death certificate?
Answer: Cause and manner of death, demographic information, and
disposition of death certificate
◉ How long does the certifier typically have to establish cause and
manner of death or submit a pending DC?
Answer: 5 to 7 days
◉ Who is responsible for completing the demographic information
(name, place of birth, place of death, race, education, and name of
spouse) on the DC?
Answer: The funeral director
◉ Why is it important to complete and release the DC in a timely
manner?
Answer: Delays may result in the family's inability to receive funds,
make insurance claims, transport the body, close bank accounts, and
get closure
,◉ Certification of the manner of death has great consequences for...
Answer: The decedents family, institutions, and insurance
companies
◉ On the DC, where is the immediate cause of death placed?
Answer: On line A in Part I
◉ On the DC, where are the proximate causes placed?
Answer: In sequential order for up to four lines
◉ Diseases injuries, or events, that although they were not the
immediate cause and did not directly relate to death, may have
significantly contributed to the death refers to the __________ section
of the DC
Answer: Other Significant Conditions or Part II
◉ What states require coroners to be medical doctors?
Answer: Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Ohio
◉ OPO
Answer: Organ Procurement Organization
, ◉ How is brain death determined?
Answer: Flat electroencephalogram (EEG) or absence of cerebral
blood flow for a predetermined time
◉ Statute
Answer: Laws enacted by the legislative branch of the government
◉ Vital statistics
Answer: A governmental agency responsible for maintaining a
system of death records for the public
◉ Hierarchical succession of NOK, in order of priority:
Answer: Surviving spouse
Surviving children
Surviving parents
Surviving siblings
Surviving grandparents
Other relatives
◉ Embalm
Answer: To preserve the body by draining the blood from the body
and infusing it with alcohols, formaldehyde and dyes under pressure
MEDICOLEGAL DEATH SCENE PRACTICE SET
ANSWERS FULL SOLUTION
◉ What organs may be recovered for transplantation from brain
dead (respirator dependent) individuals?
Answer: Heart, lungs, liver, bone marrow, kidneys, pancreas
◉ Following the initial organ recovery, what tissues may be removed
from individuals with cardiac death (off the respirator)?
Answer: Corneas, skin, middle ears, bone, heart valves, tendons
◉ Eyes must be removed within ___ hours after death whereas the
other tissues may be removed up to 24 hours after death
Answer: 6
◉ When do ME/coroners refuse organ recovery?
Answer: In deaths of small children when there is suspected abuse,
SIDS, legally significant accidental deaths
◉ In __________ and _________, donation is usually allowed
Answer: Natural deaths and common accidents
,◉ What conditions would make someone ineligible for organ and or
tissue donation?
Answer: AIDS, sepsis, previous history of drug abuse, degenerative
disease of bone and/or nerve, cancer, hepatitis, dementia
◉ What are the 3 major sections of the death certificate?
Answer: Cause and manner of death, demographic information, and
disposition of death certificate
◉ How long does the certifier typically have to establish cause and
manner of death or submit a pending DC?
Answer: 5 to 7 days
◉ Who is responsible for completing the demographic information
(name, place of birth, place of death, race, education, and name of
spouse) on the DC?
Answer: The funeral director
◉ Why is it important to complete and release the DC in a timely
manner?
Answer: Delays may result in the family's inability to receive funds,
make insurance claims, transport the body, close bank accounts, and
get closure
,◉ Certification of the manner of death has great consequences for...
Answer: The decedents family, institutions, and insurance
companies
◉ On the DC, where is the immediate cause of death placed?
Answer: On line A in Part I
◉ On the DC, where are the proximate causes placed?
Answer: In sequential order for up to four lines
◉ Diseases injuries, or events, that although they were not the
immediate cause and did not directly relate to death, may have
significantly contributed to the death refers to the __________ section
of the DC
Answer: Other Significant Conditions or Part II
◉ What states require coroners to be medical doctors?
Answer: Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Ohio
◉ OPO
Answer: Organ Procurement Organization
, ◉ How is brain death determined?
Answer: Flat electroencephalogram (EEG) or absence of cerebral
blood flow for a predetermined time
◉ Statute
Answer: Laws enacted by the legislative branch of the government
◉ Vital statistics
Answer: A governmental agency responsible for maintaining a
system of death records for the public
◉ Hierarchical succession of NOK, in order of priority:
Answer: Surviving spouse
Surviving children
Surviving parents
Surviving siblings
Surviving grandparents
Other relatives
◉ Embalm
Answer: To preserve the body by draining the blood from the body
and infusing it with alcohols, formaldehyde and dyes under pressure
