Forensic aspects of trauma Flashcards
What is the definition of an injury?
‘physical harm or damage to someone’s body caused by an accident or an attack’
‘Damage to any part of the body due to the application of mechanical force’
What can excessive mechanical force lead to?
> Compression
Traction
Torsion
Tangential (shearing)
Resultant damage depends on type of mechanical insult AND nature of target tissue
Classification of injury?
> Appearance or method of causation: Abrasion, contusion, laceration, incised wounds, gunshot wounds, burns
> Manner of causation:
Suicidal, accidental, homicidal
> Nature of injury:
Blunt force, sharp force, explosive
What do blunt force injuries lead to?
> Contusions (bruises) =
Burst blood vessels in skin
> Abrasions (graze, scratch) = Scraping of skin surface
> Lacerations (cut, tear) = Tear/split of skin due to crushing
Patterned bruises?
> Tramline
Finger tips
Other
Factors affecting prominence of bruising?
> Skin pigmentation > Depth and location > Fat > Age - Child + Elderly > Resilient areas > Coagulative disorders
Factors affecting prominence of bruising - Depth and location?
Depth and location – occur more readily over loose skin – eyebrow, scrotum
Factors affecting prominence of bruising - Fat?
Fat - ↑ subcut fat bruise more easily
Factors affecting prominence of bruising - Age?
Age:
> Children – skin loose and delicate
> Elderly - blood vessels of skin poorly supported + more subcutaneous fat
Factors affecting prominence of bruising - Resilient areas?
Buttocks, abdomen – bruise less easily with given impact than areas with underlying bone which acts as an anvil with skin between bone and inflicting object
Factors affecting prominence of bruising - Coagulation disorders?
> Thrombocytopenia > Von Willebrand’s disease > Haemophilia > Liver disease (alcoholics) > Bone marrow disease
Kinetic energy equation?
Kinetic energy = ½ mass x velocity2
Which type of injuries are bites?
Often a mix of abrasions and lacerations
What can tissue bridges help to determine?
Can help to confirm a blunt force laceration versus a sharp force injury
How are sharp force injuries defined?
> Superficial or penetrating
> Incised wounds:
- Superficial sharp force injury caused by slashing motion
- Longer on the skin surface than it is deep
> Stab wounds:
- Penetrating injury resulting from thrusting motion
- Wound depth greater than length on the surface