5. Forensics Flashcards
What is the difference between the proximate cause of death and the mechanism (immediate) cause of death?
Immediate cause is what is found upon autopsy - such as acute congestive heart failure
Proximate cause of death is the agent that caused the immediate cause of death- the REAL cause of death
On death certificate, Top line is the immediate cause, line underneath is the ?
proximate or real cause of death
A manner of death is a form of judicial opinion. What are the elements of the manner that it may encompass?
This can encompass the scene, testing, autopsy, bruising, reports - what the ME thinks is the cause when including all data
Describe the following Natural Accident Suicide Homocide Undetermined Is it ever legitimate to formally list a manner of death as undetermined?
Yes! there are sometimes that after autopsy- there are no findings and in that case = undetermined (such as toxic arrythmia)
natural meaning SIDS/ old age Accident = drowning/fell from bulding Suicide= self harm Homocide= someone killed u undetermined
What is the difference between homocide and murder?
Homocide is the killing of one person by another - may or may not be illegal such as police/ soldiers killing somone
Murder- is unjustified killing - such as someone coming into your house at night
Why does accurate death certification in the US serve the public not family?
Serves public so they know if there is a murderer on the lose - to better the society
Does NOT serve family- ever
Aims of autopsies in hospitals were mainly used for training for residents back in the day, now, however, why are they no longer a thing?
because if the ME found something that the Dr in the hospital missed, then they both could get sued.
What is nice about the ME doing forensic autopsy FROM HIS OWN OFFICE?
he has sovereign immunity - meaning the ME cannot get sued or tried
Who is able to certify deaths (sign death certificate) of a natural cause?
Any licensed physician
Justices of the Peace
Coroners
ME/Crime scene investigators / police
Who is able to certify death (sign death certificate) of a accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined death?
Medical Examiner ONLY
Rigor mortis is when the body becomes stiff due to cross linking of actin and myosin, after death. How can this be used in forensics?
If the body is still hard that means it was killed in the past 2-48 hours (how long rigor mortis lasts)
Algor mortis cooling of the body at a uniform rate depending on the temperature outside. Most of the studies are based on 75degrees. How can this be used in forensics?
If the body is ice cold = died a while ago
If the body is still warmish = death may be more frequent
Livor mortis is pooling of the blood, following gravity. The skin will be?
non-blanchable / fixed
What is the most common type of body decoposition in which the body died in humid/ tempearte weather- will see green skin change near cecum- smelly?
Putrefactives decopmosition
What decomposition occurs when the body is found in water, normally epidermis is dissolved with a lipid layer encasing the body (fresh water)?
Adipocere formation
What decoposition is rare, occuring in the desert or low moisture climates where the body becomes dried out and mummified?
Mummification
What is the main difference between a ME and a coroner?
ME are physicians who are trained in forensic pathology- do the actual autopsies
Coroners are not usually physicians- who get the body ready- transport to ME, determine next of kin and can sign death certificate
What are the three typical types of wounds produced by blunt force?
abrasion
contusion
laceration
What is the wounding formula?
Wound= E x 1/T x 1/A x K E=Energy T= Time (more quick millisecs = more dam) A= Area of force (small area = more dam) K= modifying factor
K is the plasticity factor in the wounding formula. What does this mean?
In children with more elastic skull K would be different as opposed to adult skulls
What is the main difference between incision and laceration?
incision is a clean cut (straight)
lacerations are a tear-like wound caused by blunt force! (jagged)
What is a bruise and results from hemorrhage into soft tissue due to rupture of subcutaneous blood vessels by blunt force injury?
Contusion - epidermis is usually intact- not external bleeding
Why is the location of the tissue during blunt force injury important?
because you can determine mechanism of injury if lets say the nose and supraorbital ridges are bruised by eye sockets are not
Age of contusion can be determined upon color change. Blue purple red does not assist, brown is a mixture and also does not help. If the area is yellow - most significant color and can tell you what?
its presence indicates that the bruise is 18hours or older
What is a wound in which the epidermis is injured, produced by friction scraping away or crushing by direct pressure or blow tangential to the surface?
Abrasion - **oozes serum or blood
What are the three general types of abrasions?
brush (scrape/gliding - along concrete)
impact (bony prominences injured)
patterened (hit face on car grill)
What are dicing injuries in vehicular accidents?
Whether the person was a passenger or driver of the car can be determined by dicing injuries, which occur when the side windows shatter- if dicing is on left side then driver, right side then passenger
What is the difference between double edged knife and single?
Double edged is more commonly used in military which single edgde knives are most common
What two systems are extremely susceptible to radiation injury and deserve special mention?
hematopoeitic and lymphoid systems
What range of GSW would show a marginal abrasion (burning from touching of gun to skin) along with soot and powder deep inside the wound?
Contact range
What range of GSW would show magrinal abrasion, now powder tattooing/stippling and no soot/powder in the depths of the wound?
Distant range GSw
What range of GSW would show mariginal abrasion WITH power tattooing/stippling around the wound?
Intermediate range - will see pigmented tattoo like lesions around the bullet hole entry
What can be said about the GSW from a handgun compared to a long gun? (low vs. high velocity guns)
small handgun w low velocity = small entry and no exit
Long gun with high velocity= small entry with BIG exit
The skull has 3 layers of bone including external table - compact bone, diploe trabecular/spongy bone and internal table - compact bone… What can be seen in the layers from a GSW?
External table - marginal abrasion with sharp circumscription
Internal table- blow out / bevelled
(*note- opposite on way out)
