Ethics Past Paper Questions

https://www.hta.gov.uk/policies/policy-consent-post-mortem-examination-and-tissue-retention-
under-human-tissue-act-2004

Ethics 2019

1. A homeless man dies (signs of trauma), you cannot contact his brother, what do you do
about the autopsy?
2. HIV positive girl dies of cerebral toxoplasmosis, before she dies she says she doesn’t want to
disclose her HIV status. What do you write on the death certificate?
3. Woman (45y) with learning difficulties and cerebral palsy, she gets influenza, then strep
pneumonia, then dies of cardiorespiratory arrest. Death certificate.
4. Man dies, daughter consents to autopsy, step mum (his wife) does not want autopsy - what
to do?
5. Guy with brain mets from lung cancer, has a PE, dies of cardiorespiratory arrest. Fill out
death certificate

Ethics 2018

1. What to put on death certificate for a well-controlled HIV patient who had a PE after a long
haul flight and died from cardiac arrest soon after admission to hospital.
a. 1a: PE, 1b: HIV
b. 1a: cardiac arrest, 1b: HIV
2. Woman found at home surrounded by needles, lots of extra pathologies - PE, etc. Family are
waiting for the death certificate what do you do?
a. Ask family for permission to do the autopsy in hospital
b. Call the coroner, and ask him to ask the family to do the autopsy in the hospital
c. Just give death certificate without autopsy
3. Homeless man dies, no next of kin, consultant says you need to do an autopsy, what are
your options?
a. Consent not needed- human tissue act doesn’t apply
b. Court must give permission
c. At least 2 consultants must give permission for autopsy to go ahead
d. Wasn’t there an answer like autopsy is in best interests so do one?
4. Hospital Autopsy. Coroner wants a spine specimen for teaching. What do you?
a. Must ask family
b. Don’t need one as hospital and good for education (something like that)

Ethics 2017

1. Dad and brother of dead individual disagree over having an autopsy. The Dad was the main
carer but no mention of standing order or special status assigned to dad by the dead
individual.
 a. Dad & Brother disagree so there can be no autopsy
b. There is a family disagreement so there can be no autopsy
c. An autopsy can be done but to settle the disagreement it goes to a special court
2. Next of kin is identified for a woman who is estranged from her family, and found at home
unresponsive with needles, and is a drug addict. When they get her to hospital she dies
before you can talk to her. They find her next of kin (her brother)
a. If police declare it a possible murder then they can ask the coroner?
b. You can refer to coroner for autopsy if the police rule it as a suspicious death
provided you get consent from the next of kin first
c. Perform a post-mortem at the hospital after seeing permission from her brother
3. Random doctor following a needle stick injury, from a parent who has come back from the
Philippines. Random doctor doesn’t want to take PEP unless risk is real. Asks patient (who
has capacity) if they can consent to the blood test – patient refuses. The doctor then asks
CT1 college if they can ask the lab to do a test on one of the patient’s old blood samples.
What does the CT1 say?
a. To not do the test would violate the doctor’s human’s rights under article 3 or 5 of
the Human Rights acts of year XXXX
b. To not do the test would violate the patient’s human’s rights under the Human’s
right’s act of year XXXX
c. If the hospital refuses to test the blood despite the person’s protests, then they are
violating the doctor’s human rights.
d. They can proceed and test an old sample of blood as it is in the best interests of the
doctor.
4. A man presents with history of heart disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, has a facial basal
cell carcinoma and type 2 diabetes. Investigations from one year ago showed critical aortic
stenosis, with poor ejection fraction. Current echo shows critical aortic stenosis. They
suddenly die. List the order for the coroners / How should you fill out the MCCD (Medical
Certificate of Causes of Death)?
a. 1a = Acute left ventricular heart failure, 1b = Type 2 Diabetes
b. 1a = Aortic Stenosis, 1b = Type 2 Diabetes
c. 1a = Aortic Stenosis, 1b = Basal Cell Carcinoma
d. 1a = Aortic Stenosis, 1b = Basal Cell Carcinoma, Type 2 Diabetes