ABMDI EXAM STUDY GUIDE Questions with Correct Answers
(Grade A+)
Question 1: Bereavement.
Answer: Sorrow following the death of a loved one
Question 2: Brain death.
Answer: Final cessation of activity in the central nervous system, as indicated by a flat
electroencephalogram (EEG) or absence of cerebral blood flow for a predetermined period of time
Question 3: Cardiac death.
Answer: Final cessation of activity in the cardiovascular system involving the heart and blood vessels
Question 4: Cessation.
Answer: The final stoppage of action
Question 5: Coroner.
Answer: Typically an elected official who decides whether a death occurred under circumstances that
require an autopsy, either by law or to determine manner or cause. A coroner can determine the scope of an
autopsy and who will perform it if the elected coroner is not qualified. Only Kansas, Louisiana, North
Dakota, and Ohio require, without exception, that coroners be medical doctors
Question 6: Jurisdiction.
Answer: The power or authority a court or office has over individuals or trauma
Question 7: Legal next-of-kin.
Answer: The person from whom the medicolegal death investigator must secure consent before initiating
any procurement activity
Question 8: Medical examiner.
Answer: Usually a medical doctor, although not necessarily a highly trained pathologist. Like a coroner, a
medical examiner decides whether a death occurred under circumstances that may require an autopsy and
who will perform it if the medical examiner is not qualified. A medical examiner is usually appointed to the
position and may have jurisdiction for a county, district, or state
Question 9: OPO (organ procurement organization).
Answer: The agency responsible for identifying potential donors, obtaining consent, and procuring organs
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,Question 10: Postmortem changes.
Answer: Alterations of the body following death, including decomposition and environmental resuscitative
injuries
Question 11: Statutes.
Answer: Laws enacted by the legislative branch of government
Question 12: Verify.
Answer: Establish or confirm the accuracy of information or evidence through testimony
Question 13: Vital statistics.
Answer: A governmental agency responsible for maintaining a system of registration and release of records
for the public, including birth, marriage, divorce, and death
Question 14: Antemortem blood sample.
Answer: An initial blood sample that usually is obtained when the subject arrives at the hospital emergency
room, before additional diagnostic or therapeutic treatment is initiated
Question 15: Authorization.
Answer: Official permission granted by a superior
Question 16: Common-law marriage.
Answer: A marriage that is recognized because the couple have been cohabiting for a determined length of
time, yet a legal marriage ceremony has not been performed
Question 17: Confidential.
Answer: Revealed in confidence (trust, assurance), to be kept secret
Question 18: Cremation.
Answer: The reduction of a dead human body to inorganic bone fragments by intense heat in a specially
designed chamber
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, Question 19: Demographic information.
Answer:
1. Personal identifying and specific information regarding an individual's age
2. social security number
3. gender
4. address
5. and so on
Question 20: Disinterment.
Answer: The opening of a grave and removal of the body for the purpose of reexamination or removal to
another site
Question 21: Embalmer.
Answer: An individual licensed by the state to disinfect, preserve, and cosmetically restore dead human
bodies
Question 22: Euphemism.
Answer: A mild or inoffensive term or phrase that is substituted for another, more explicit term
Question 23: Funeral director.
Answer: An individual or corporation licensed by a state to prepare dead human remains, other than by
embalming, for interment or other means of disposal. The person also conducts funeral services and
counsels the decedent's families
Question 24: Guardianship or power of attorney.
Answer: Legal authorization to act on another individual's behalf. This authority usually ceases after death,
so be sure to check the law in your state
Question 25: Interrogation.
Answer: The formal act of examining a person by asking questions, usually a law enforcement function
Question 26: Interview.
Answer: A formal face-to-face conversation between a reported (the medicolegal death investigator) and a
person from whom information is sought (the witness)
Question 27: Legal next-of-kin.
Answer: The hierarchical succession of survivors established by law
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(Grade A+)
Question 1: Bereavement.
Answer: Sorrow following the death of a loved one
Question 2: Brain death.
Answer: Final cessation of activity in the central nervous system, as indicated by a flat
electroencephalogram (EEG) or absence of cerebral blood flow for a predetermined period of time
Question 3: Cardiac death.
Answer: Final cessation of activity in the cardiovascular system involving the heart and blood vessels
Question 4: Cessation.
Answer: The final stoppage of action
Question 5: Coroner.
Answer: Typically an elected official who decides whether a death occurred under circumstances that
require an autopsy, either by law or to determine manner or cause. A coroner can determine the scope of an
autopsy and who will perform it if the elected coroner is not qualified. Only Kansas, Louisiana, North
Dakota, and Ohio require, without exception, that coroners be medical doctors
Question 6: Jurisdiction.
Answer: The power or authority a court or office has over individuals or trauma
Question 7: Legal next-of-kin.
Answer: The person from whom the medicolegal death investigator must secure consent before initiating
any procurement activity
Question 8: Medical examiner.
Answer: Usually a medical doctor, although not necessarily a highly trained pathologist. Like a coroner, a
medical examiner decides whether a death occurred under circumstances that may require an autopsy and
who will perform it if the medical examiner is not qualified. A medical examiner is usually appointed to the
position and may have jurisdiction for a county, district, or state
Question 9: OPO (organ procurement organization).
Answer: The agency responsible for identifying potential donors, obtaining consent, and procuring organs
Page 1
,Question 10: Postmortem changes.
Answer: Alterations of the body following death, including decomposition and environmental resuscitative
injuries
Question 11: Statutes.
Answer: Laws enacted by the legislative branch of government
Question 12: Verify.
Answer: Establish or confirm the accuracy of information or evidence through testimony
Question 13: Vital statistics.
Answer: A governmental agency responsible for maintaining a system of registration and release of records
for the public, including birth, marriage, divorce, and death
Question 14: Antemortem blood sample.
Answer: An initial blood sample that usually is obtained when the subject arrives at the hospital emergency
room, before additional diagnostic or therapeutic treatment is initiated
Question 15: Authorization.
Answer: Official permission granted by a superior
Question 16: Common-law marriage.
Answer: A marriage that is recognized because the couple have been cohabiting for a determined length of
time, yet a legal marriage ceremony has not been performed
Question 17: Confidential.
Answer: Revealed in confidence (trust, assurance), to be kept secret
Question 18: Cremation.
Answer: The reduction of a dead human body to inorganic bone fragments by intense heat in a specially
designed chamber
Page 2
, Question 19: Demographic information.
Answer:
1. Personal identifying and specific information regarding an individual's age
2. social security number
3. gender
4. address
5. and so on
Question 20: Disinterment.
Answer: The opening of a grave and removal of the body for the purpose of reexamination or removal to
another site
Question 21: Embalmer.
Answer: An individual licensed by the state to disinfect, preserve, and cosmetically restore dead human
bodies
Question 22: Euphemism.
Answer: A mild or inoffensive term or phrase that is substituted for another, more explicit term
Question 23: Funeral director.
Answer: An individual or corporation licensed by a state to prepare dead human remains, other than by
embalming, for interment or other means of disposal. The person also conducts funeral services and
counsels the decedent's families
Question 24: Guardianship or power of attorney.
Answer: Legal authorization to act on another individual's behalf. This authority usually ceases after death,
so be sure to check the law in your state
Question 25: Interrogation.
Answer: The formal act of examining a person by asking questions, usually a law enforcement function
Question 26: Interview.
Answer: A formal face-to-face conversation between a reported (the medicolegal death investigator) and a
person from whom information is sought (the witness)
Question 27: Legal next-of-kin.
Answer: The hierarchical succession of survivors established by law
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