Chapter 8 - Forensic Medicine Flashcards
Coroner
- Official whose job is to investigate deaths
- Usually an elected official w/o medical or forensic training
- Pronounce death and determine TOD, scene investigation, take custody of body, ID the deceased, notify next of kin, death certificates, reports
Autopsy
Postmortem examination of the deceased in an effort to learn the cause and manner of death
Accidental Death
Arise from a violent, unexpected death that wasn’t caused by a natural, intentional or criminal act by another person
Contributing cause of death/Proximal cause of death
Disease or injury that started the chain of events that ultimately leads to the death of a person
Algor Mortis
Cooling of the body after death
Cause of Death
Specific medical reason, agent or event that causes a death
Abdomen
Stores important organs such as…
- Liver
- Gall bladder
- Appendix
- Spleen
- Stomach
- Colon
- Bladder
Abrasion
A wound caused by rubbing or scraping an object across the skin, usually involving just the outer layers of the skin.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Progressive mental degeneration in later life due to a degeneration of brain tissue
Anode
Positively charged electrode
Antemortem
Prior to death
Artery
- Part of the circulatory system
- Muscular, elastic tubes carry the blood away from the heart to the body
Asphyxia
Medical condition arising from a shortage of oxygen to tissues
Biomedical Imaging
Various techniques developed to visualize internal organs, structures and tissues, often noninvasively
Bladder
Organ that stores urine until it is released during urination.
Blunt Force Trauma
Wound trauma caused by the impact of a non-penetrating object
(ie, a bat or a car)
Brain
- Controlling organ of the central nervous system
- Controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates the body
Cathode
Negatively charged electrode
Circulatory System
- System that transports blood and lymph throughout the body
- Includes heart, lungs, arteries, veins, etc
- Carries oxygen, nutrients, hormones to cells, and removes waste products (CO2)
Compartment Syndrome
- An increase in pressure within a compartment of the body with restricted space
- Pressure within a compartment (ie: the brain, arms) increases and restricts blood flow to the area and can damage the muscles/ nearby nerves
Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT)
- Provides 3D X-rays
- A large # of 2D X-rays are taken and stacked in order by a computer to create a 3D image of the structure(s).
Think slices of bread
Contact Wound
- Occur when the muzzle of the gun is either placed directly on or very close to the skin.
- Often leaves visible soot and searing of the skin with a possible muzzle impression left behind on the skin.
Contusion
- Type of blunt force trauma
- Medical term for a bruise
- Caused by an impact that damages blood vessels and causes them to leak into surrounding tissue
Coronary Arteries
Blood vessels that supply blood to the heart tissues themselves.
Cranium
the skull
Decedent
the person who has died
Distal
A part of the body that is farther away from the center of the body than another part
Drowning
Death by submersion/immersion of water
Edema
- Medical term for swelling
- Caused by fluid trapped in the body’s tissues
Electromagnetic Radiation
Radiation that consists of waves composed of oscillating perpendicular
electric and magnetic fields.
(includes visible, infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray, and radio)
Embolism
Obstruction of a blood vessel.
Entrance/Exit Wound
The location of the entry and exit points as a projectile travels through a body
Gall Bladder
Stores bile and releases it into the small intestines when needed
Gunshot
A penetrating wound from a high velocity projectile ejected from a firearm or similar device.
Heart
Organ that pumps the blood through the body’s circulatory system
Hematoma
- A pool of mostly clotted blood that forms in an organ, tissue, or body space
- A blood tumor
Homicide
The killing of one human being by another, whether by accident or on purpose.
Incision
- Cut wound that is longer than wide
- Caused by drawing a sharp object across the skin
Kidney
- Removes waste products and toxins from the body by peeing
- Filtering system
Kinetic Energy
Energy in motion
Laceration
- Wound that occurs by tearing/pressure splits the skin open
- Produced uneven wounds
Large Intestines
- Absorbs water, salts, and electrolytes from the material that has not been digested yet
- Made-up of the cecum, colon, rectum, and anal canal
Ligature
- Something used for tying or binding something
- Thread, rope or cord.
Liver
- Produces bile
- Stores glycogen, vitamins, minerals
- Breaks down toxins
- Protein synthesis and enzyme activation
Lividity
Bluish-purple discoloration of skin after death
Livor Mortis
When blood settles to the lowest points of the body after death
Lungs
- Responsible for oxygenating and removing
CO2 from the blood - Warms air to match body temp and moisturizes it to the proper humidity level
- Protects your airways from harmful substances and irritants
MRI
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Creates images of the organs and tissues in your body
- Non-invasive and is not as harmful as x-rays
Manner of Death
- The circumstances that resulted in a death
- Categorized into homicide, suicide, accidental, natural, undetermined
Medical Examiner
A trained medical physician charged with investigating deaths to determine the cause and manner of death
Medicolegal
Intersection of medical and legal practice (AKA jurisprudence)
Natural Death
A death caused by natural processes, such as disease or old age
Pancreas
Produces and regulates insulin (blood sugar levels)
Pathology
The study of diseases and how they change or harm tissues.
Perimortem
At or about the time of death
Permanent Cavity Damage
tissue crush
Injury and tissue damage from the direct impact of a projectile on tissue along its path as it travels through the tissue.
Positron Emission Tomography
- Used to evaluate organs/tissues for the presence of disease or other conditions
- Most commonly used to detect cancer
Postmortem
After death
Postmortem Interval
PMS
Time elapsed between the actual death and the time that the body was found
Proximal
Structures closest to the center
Puncture wound
A cut or piercing wound that is wider than long, caused by a stabbing motion with a pointed object.
Radiograph
Image produced on a film from radiation passing through an object (the body, organ structures, etc)
Radiology
The use of radiation to diagnose or treat disease.
Reproductive System
- Organs involved in sexual reproduction
- Ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus
- Testes, penis, scrotum
Rigor Mortis
- Stiffening of the muscles and joints in the body after death
- Smaller muscles stiffen first; then larger muscles
Stab Wound
A cut or piercing wound that is wider than long, caused by a stabbing motion with a pointed object.
Sharp Force Trauma
The penetrating injury caused by an object having a sharp edge
Small Intestine
- Helps to further digest food coming from the stomach
- Absorbs nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbs, fats, proteins)
- Absorbs water
Spleen
- Fights antigens in the blood
- Contains infection-fighting white blood cells
- Controls the levels of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets
Stomach
- Accepts food from the esophagus
- Mixes and breaks-down food
- Sends digested food to small intestine
Suicide
The action of killing oneself with the intent to die as a result of the action.
Taphonomy
Deals with how remains decay and are moved, distributed, or disturbed after death.
Temporary Cavitation Damage
- Injury and tissue damage that comes from the newly formed cavity behind a projectile
- Projectile pushes the tissue outward and away from its path
Therapeutic Complication
A death that occurred due to known and predictable side-effects from appropriate medical procedures.
Thoracoabdominal Cavitiy
Largest cavity opened during an autopsy
Thorax
- Area of the body between the neck and abdomen
- AKA the chest
- Contains the heart, ribs, breastbone, spine
Ultrasonic Imaging
Use of high-frequency sound waves to image internal structures of the body
Urinary System
The body’s organ systems that are involved in the elimination of urine, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
Vein
Blood vessels that carry low-oxygen blood back to the heart for re-oxygenation
Virtopsy
Virtual Autopsy
- Non-invasive autopsy method that uses biomedical imaging to take external and internal images of the body
X-ray
Radiation waves pass through soft tissues and image only the bone structures
Y-incison
An initial cut to open the body cavity for an autopsy examination
What is the difference between manner and mechanism of death?
- Manner: what happened on the outside to cause the death (homicide, suicide, etc)
- Mechanism: the internal reason (biological cause) of death
Skeletal System
- Gives the body it’s shape
- RBC’s/WBC’s are made in the bone marrow
- Protects organs
6 questions posed during an autopsy
- Who are you?
- When did you become unwell and when did you die?
- Where did you get hurt and why did you die?
- What was your manner of death?
- If violence was involved in your death, was it from suicide, accident, or homicide?
- If someone killed you, who did it?
