5. Forensics

Question 1

What is the difference between the proximate cause of death and the mechanism (immediate) cause of death?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

On death certificate, Top line is the immediate cause, line underneath is the ?

Answer 2

proximate or real cause of death

Question 3

A manner of death is a form of judicial opinion. What are the elements of the manner that it may encompass?

Answer 3

This can encompass the scene, testing, autopsy, bruising, reports - what the ME thinks is the cause when including all data

Question 4

Describe the following
Natural 
Accident
Suicide
Homocide
Undetermined
Is it ever legitimate to formally list a manner of death as undetermined?

Answer 4

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

Question 5

What is the difference between homocide and murder?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Why does accurate death certification in the US serve the public not family?

Answer 6

Serves public so they know if there is a murderer on the lose - to better the society
Does NOT serve family- ever

Question 7

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?

Answer 7

because if the ME found something that the Dr in the hospital missed, then they both could get sued.

Question 8

What is nice about the ME doing forensic autopsy FROM HIS OWN OFFICE?

Answer 8

he has sovereign immunity - meaning the ME cannot get sued or tried

Question 9

Who is able to certify deaths (sign death certificate) of a natural cause?

Answer 9

Any licensed physician
Justices of the Peace
Coroners
ME/Crime scene investigators / police

Question 10

Who is able to certify death (sign death certificate) of a accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined death?

Answer 10

Medical Examiner ONLY

Question 11

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?

Answer 11

If the body is still hard that means it was killed in the past 2-48 hours (how long rigor mortis lasts)

Question 12

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?

Answer 12

If the body is ice cold = died a while ago

If the body is still warmish = death may be more frequent

Question 13

Livor mortis is pooling of the blood, following gravity. The skin will be?

Answer 13

non-blanchable / fixed

Question 14

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?

Answer 14

Putrefactives decopmosition

Question 15

What decomposition occurs when the body is found in water, normally epidermis is dissolved with a lipid layer encasing the body (fresh water)?

Answer 15

Adipocere formation

Question 16

What decoposition is rare, occuring in the desert or low moisture climates where the body becomes dried out and mummified?

Answer 16

Mummification

Question 17

What is the main difference between a ME and a coroner?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What are the three typical types of wounds produced by blunt force?

Answer 18

abrasion
contusion
laceration

Question 19

What is the wounding formula?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

K is the plasticity factor in the wounding formula. What does this mean?

Answer 20

In children with more elastic skull K would be different as opposed to adult skulls

Question 21

What is the main difference between incision and laceration?

Answer 21

incision is a clean cut (straight)

lacerations are a tear-like wound caused by blunt force! (jagged)

Question 22

What is a bruise and results from hemorrhage into soft tissue due to rupture of subcutaneous blood vessels by blunt force injury?

Answer 22

Contusion - epidermis is usually intact- not external bleeding

Question 23

Why is the location of the tissue during blunt force injury important?

Answer 23

because you can determine mechanism of injury if lets say the nose and supraorbital ridges are bruised by eye sockets are not

Question 24

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?

Answer 24

its presence indicates that the bruise is 18hours or older

Question 25

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?

Answer 25

Abrasion - **oozes serum or blood

Question 26

What are the three general types of abrasions?

Answer 26

brush (scrape/gliding - along concrete)
impact (bony prominences injured)
patterened (hit face on car grill)

Question 27

What are dicing injuries in vehicular accidents?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

What is the difference between double edged knife and single?

Answer 28

Double edged is more commonly used in military which single edgde knives are most common

Question 29

What two systems are extremely susceptible to radiation injury and deserve special mention?

Answer 29

hematopoeitic and lymphoid systems

Question 30

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?

Answer 30

Contact range

Question 31

What range of GSW would show magrinal abrasion, now powder tattooing/stippling and no soot/powder in the depths of the wound?

Answer 31

Distant range GSw

Question 32

What range of GSW would show mariginal abrasion WITH power tattooing/stippling around the wound?

Answer 32

Intermediate range - will see pigmented tattoo like lesions around the bullet hole entry

Question 33

What can be said about the GSW from a handgun compared to a long gun? (low vs. high velocity guns)

Answer 33

small handgun w low velocity = small entry and no exit

Long gun with high velocity= small entry with BIG exit

Question 34

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?

Answer 34

External table - marginal abrasion with sharp circumscription
Internal table- blow out / bevelled

(*note- opposite on way out)