Death Investigation

Question 1

medical examiners

Answer 1

a medical doctor that specializes in the nature and cause of disease

Question 2

forensic pathologist

Answer 2

determines the cause and manner of death in unexplained/ unnatural deaths

Question 3

requirements to be a forensic pathologist

Answer 3

• completed a medical degree
• completed clinical training in pathology
• pass an exam

Question 4

is a coroner required to be a physician?

Answer 4

usually, but not required

Question 5

do coroners investigate death?

Answer 5

yes

Question 6

do coroners perform autopsies?

Answer 6

no

Question 7

do coroners determine COD?

Answer 7

yes

Question 8

do coroners provide death certificates?

Answer 8

yes

Question 9

are coroners elected or appointed?

Answer 9

either

Question 10

are coroners pathologists or forensic path?

Answer 10

not required

Question 11

are medical examiners required to be a physician?

Answer 11

almost always

Question 12

do medical examiners investigate death?

Answer 12

yes

Question 13

do medical examiners preform autopsies?

Answer 13

yes

Question 14

do medical examiners determine COD?

Answer 14

yes

Question 15

do medical examiners provide death certificates?

Answer 15

yes

Question 16

are medical examiners elected or appointed?

Answer 16

appointed

Question 17

are medical examiners pathologists or forensic path?

Answer 17

almost always

Question 18

pathologists assistant

Answer 18

provides various services under the direction and supervision of a pathologist

Question 19

major duties during a death investigation

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

cause of death

Answer 20

medical determination - disease or injury that causes a physiological disruption that results in death

Question 21

manner of death

Answer 21

• government classification
  1. homicide
  2. suicide
  3. accidental
  4. natural death
  5. unknown / undetermined

Question 22

time of death

Answer 22

time person die

Question 23

postmortem intervals

Answer 23

time elapsed since death

Question 24

taphonomy

Answer 24

the study of anything that can happen to a body post death

Question 25

what affects the natural physical / chemical changes postmortem

Answer 25

temperature

Question 26

pallor mortis

Answer 26

- paleness of death - develops in 15 minutes - due to loss of blood circulation

Question 27

algor mortis

Answer 27

- metabolism generates heat - upon death the body cools

Question 28

conduction

Answer 28

directly warms things through touch

Question 29

convection

Answer 29

warm airs around thing

Question 30

steps while using a nomogram

Answer 30

1. draw a line between rectal and ambient temperature 2. draw a 2nd line from cross hairs to intersection of first line 3. use the appropriate arched line that represents mass 4. 2nd live provides PMI

Question 31

factors that can affect rate of heat loss

Answer 31

- clothes - water & air conditions

Question 32

livor mortis

Answer 32

- discoloration that occurs as blood pools - generally occurs .5-2 hours postmortem - can provide info on corpse movement

Question 33

rigor mortis

Answer 33

- 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

Question 34

why does rigor mortis happen?

Answer 34

after death the sarcoplasmic reticulum becomes leaky

Question 35

why is rigor most noticeable in muscles that were most active before death?

Answer 35

ATP build up

Question 36

how / why is rigor broken?

Answer 36

proteins start to breakdown so people come out of rigor

Question 37

vitreous humor

Answer 37

jelly substance that maintains eye shape / structure that begins to disappear after death

Question 38

PMI estimation from vitreous humor

Answer 38

- 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

Question 39

stages of decomposition

Answer 39

1. fresh 2. bloat 3-4. decay (active - advanced) 5. dry remains / skeletonization

Question 40

decomposition stage: bloat

Answer 40

- autolysis - increased microbial activity

Question 41

autolysis

Answer 41

self digestion after lysosomes break down

Question 42

what do autolysis and increased microbial activity produce?

Answer 42

gas

Question 43

another word for decay

Answer 43

Putrefaction

Question 44

decomposition stage: decay

Answer 44

- body collapses and gas escapes - adipocere can form during breakdown of lipids

Question 45

what happens when adipocere forms?

Answer 45

decomposition can be halted