Death Investigation Flashcards
medical examiners
a medical doctor that specializes in the nature and cause of disease
forensic pathologist
determines the cause and manner of death in unexplained/ unnatural deaths
requirements to be a forensic pathologist
- completed a medical degree
- completed clinical training in pathology
- pass an exam
is a coroner required to be a physician?
usually, but not required
do coroners investigate death?
yes
do coroners perform autopsies?
no
do coroners determine COD?
yes
do coroners provide death certificates?
yes
are coroners elected or appointed?
either
are coroners pathologists or forensic path?
not required
are medical examiners required to be a physician?
almost always
do medical examiners investigate death?
yes
do medical examiners preform autopsies?
yes
do medical examiners determine COD?
yes
do medical examiners provide death certificates?
yes
are medical examiners elected or appointed?
appointed
are medical examiners pathologists or forensic path?
almost always
pathologists assistant
provides various services under the direction and supervision of a pathologist
major duties during a death investigation
- confirm/ pronounce death
- photograph / recognize / collect evidence from body
- perform external body exam
- document postmortem changes
- establish info and alert next of kin
- ensure security
- autopsy
cause of death
medical determination - disease or injury that causes a physiological disruption that results in death
manner of death
- government classification
1. homicide
2. suicide
3. accidental
4. natural death
5. unknown / undetermined
time of death
time person die
postmortem intervals
time elapsed since death
taphonomy
the study of anything that can happen to a body post death
what affects the natural physical / chemical changes postmortem
temperature
pallor mortis
- paleness of death
- develops in 15 minutes
- due to loss of blood circulation
algor mortis
- metabolism generates heat
- upon death the body cools
conduction
directly warms things through touch
convection
warm airs around thing
steps while using a nomogram
- draw a line between rectal and ambient temperature
- draw a 2nd line from cross hairs to intersection of first line
- use the appropriate arched line that represents mass
- 2nd live provides PMI
factors that can affect rate of heat loss
- clothes
- water & air conditions
livor mortis
- discoloration that occurs as blood pools
- generally occurs .5-2 hours postmortem
- can provide info on corpse movement
rigor mortis
- stiffening of the body
- occurs 3-4 hours after death, persists for ~12 hours
- occurs in all muscles simultaneously but may be noticeable first in small muscles
why does rigor mortis happen?
after death the sarcoplasmic reticulum becomes leaky
why is rigor most noticeable in muscles that were most active before death?
ATP build up
how / why is rigor broken?
proteins start to breakdown so people come out of rigor
vitreous humor
jelly substance that maintains eye shape / structure that begins to disappear after death
PMI estimation from vitreous humor
- is an extracellular fluid with a low K+ content which is maintained in life by pumps
- after death the pump stops and the membrane is leaky so the K+ moves down its concentration gradient
stages of decomposition
- fresh
- bloat
3-4. decay (active - advanced) - dry remains / skeletonization
decomposition stage: bloat
- autolysis
- increased microbial activity
autolysis
self digestion after lysosomes break down
what do autolysis and increased microbial activity produce?
gas
another word for decay
Putrefaction
decomposition stage: decay
- body collapses and gas escapes
- adipocere can form during breakdown of lipids
what happens when adipocere forms?
decomposition can be halted
