2.0 Death Investigation Flashcards
A process whereby a Coroner or Forensic Pathologists seeks to understand how and why a person died.
Death Investigation
- An official who investigates violent, sudden or suspicious death.
- Investigates all deaths where the cause is unknown.
- Where there is reason to think the death may not be due to natural causes, or which need an inquiry for some other reason.
Coroner
- England
- Eyre or Judicial Circuit
- Inspecting villages
- Holding court
- Settling disputes
- Levying fines
- Also called “Crowners”
1994 Coroner
- A properly trained physician charged with the responsibility and authority to investigate deaths and to determine cause and manner of death in a particular jurisdiction.
Medical Examiner
- The subspecialty of medicine devoted to the medical investigation of death.
Forensic Pathology
DEATH INVESTIGATION SYSTEMS
- Determine the __________, and how death came about.
- Identify the _________.
- Determine the _________ and _________.
- __________ from the body that may be useful in the police investigation.
- Document injuries that are present or absence.
- Deduce how injuries occurred.
- Document any ______ present.
- Document or exclude any __________ or ___________ in the death.
- cause of death
- decedent
- time of death; injury
- Collect evidence
- Document injuries
- natural disease
- causative or contributory factors
- The most important section of the Medical Examiner’s office.
- Takes a leading role in helping to establish positive identification of the decedent.
- Responsible for transporting decedents, finger printing, inventorying personal effects and admitting and releasing bodies from the morgue.
Investigator
- Also known as Medical Section
- Forensic pathologists and technician
- Includes Forensic odontologists and other medical specialists that can help in determining the decedent’s cause and manner of death and its identification.
Autopsy Section
- A surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present for research or educational purposes.
Autopsy
- Also known as Post-mortem examination, Obduction, Necropsy, or Autopsia cadaverum
- Performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist.
Autopsy
PURPOSES OF AUTOPSY
- Determine if death was natural or unnatural.
- Injury source and extent on the corpse.
- Manner of death must be determined.
- Time since death.
- Establish identity of the deceased.
- Retain relevant organs.
- If it is an infant, determine live birth and viability.
o Seek to find the cause and manner of death and to identify the decedent.
o They are generally performed, as prescribed by applicable law, in cases of violent, suspicious or sudden deaths, deaths without medical assistance or during surgical procedures.
Medico-legal or Forensic or Coroner’s Autopsies
o Performed to diagnose a particular disease or for research purposes.
o They aim to determine, clarify, or confirm medical diagnoses that remained unknown or unclear prior to the patient’s death.
Clinical or Pathological Autopsies
o Are performed by students of anatomy for study purpose only.
Anatomical or Academic Autopsies
o Performed utilizing imaging technology only, primarily magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).
Virtual or Medical Imaging Autopsies
- A scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating exposures to toxins and toxicants.
TOXICOLOGY SECTION/LABORATORY
- Integral to the function of any modern medical examiner’s office.
- Blood analysis and other body fluids are examined.
TOXICOLOGY SECTION/LABORATORY
is the discipline that requires physician status (MD degree plus specialty education and experience).
Medical Toxicology
is the discipline that can be practiced not only by physicians, but also other health professionals with a master’s degree in clinical toxicology.
Clinical Toxicology
is the discipline that makes use of toxicology and other disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation of death, poisoning. and drug use. The primary concern for forensic toxicology is not the legal outcome of the toxicological investigation or the technology utilized, but rather the obtainment and interpretation of results.
Forensic Toxicology
is a discipline that develops mathematical and computer-based models to better understand and predict adverse health effects caused by chemicals, such as environmental pollutants and pharmaceuticals.
Computational Toxicology
- Provide critical interface of the office with the public.
- Transcription of physician’s dictated reports.
- Preparation of death certificate.
- Coordination on court appearances.
- Maintenance of documents, records and data.
- Responds to subpoena, public information queries and the myriad.
The Clerical Section
- Under the chief medical examiner.
- Full authority over operational, budgetary and personnel matters.
- Determines procedure and policies of the office.
- Responsible for all investigations and examinations, and for maintaining the quality of the office’s work products.
Administration
- The complete story of the history, physical examination, diagnosis, treatment and care of a patient.
- “Do not treat a stranger”
Patient’s Record
