Forensic Aspects Of Trauma

Question 1

what is a resultant damage from an injury dependent on?

Answer 1

Mechanical insult and

Nature of target tissue

Question 2

What are the 3 classifications of injury?

Answer 2

Method of causation,
Manner of causation,
Nature of injury

Question 3

Classification of manner of causation of injury’s?

Answer 3

Suicidal,
Accidental,
Homicidal

Question 4

Nature of injury classifications?

Answer 4

Blunt force,
Sharp force,
Explosive

Question 5

Blunt force injuries classes?

Answer 5

Contusions,
Abrasions,
lacerations

Question 6

What is a contusion?

Answer 6

A bruise

Burst blood vessels in skin

Question 7

What is an abrasion?

Answer 7

Graze, scratch

Scraping of skin surface

Question 8

What is a laceration?

Answer 8

Cut, tear,

Tear/ split of skin due to crushing

Question 9

Examples of tips of patterned bruisers?

Answer 9

Tramline,

Finger tip

Question 10

Factors that affect prominence of contusions

Answer 10

Skin pigmentation,
Depth and locations (more readily over loose skin),
Increased subcutaneous fat (increase bruising),
Age (elderly and child),
Resilient areas,
Coagulative disorders (thrombocytopenia, Von Willebrands disease, liver disease, bone marrow disease)

Question 11

Sharp force injuries classes?

Answer 11

Incised wounds,

Stab wounds

Question 12

Define an incised wound

Answer 12

Superficial sharp force injury caused by slashing motion

Longer on skin surface than deep

Question 13

Define a stab wound

Answer 13

Penetrating injury resulting from thrusting motion,

Wound depth greater than length on the surface

Question 14

Defensive type injury classes

Answer 14

Passive,

Active

Question 15

Passive defensive injury descriptions

Answer 15

Victim raises arm and legs for protection,

Sliced, shelved often with skin flaps over backs of hands and forearms

Question 16

Active defensive type injury description

Answer 16

Victim tries to grab weapon or attackers hand,
Sliced shelved incised wounds on palmer aspects of hands and web spaces between fingers- particularly between thumb and index finger

Question 17

Characteristics on self inflicted injuries?

Answer 17

Sharp force,
Site- wrists, forearms, chest, abdomen,
Parallel, multiple and tentative incisions

Question 18

What are consequences of an injury dependent on?

Answer 18

Type of mechanical injury,
Nature of target tissue,
Forces involved,
Number of impacts

Question 19

Outcome of volume of blood loss 35ml from head injury?

Answer 19

Symptomatic- irritability, n/v

Question 20

Outcome of bleeding 40-50ml from head injury

Answer 20

Clinical deterioration,

Life threatening q

Question 21

Outcome of bleeding 80-100ml from head injury

Answer 21

Commonly fatal due to increased ICP and herniation

Question 22

Outcome of bleeding 150ml+ from head injury

Answer 22

Fatal

Question 23

What blood vessel causes extramural haemorrhage?

Answer 23

Middle meninges artery

Question 24

What blood vessels cause subdues haemorrhage?

Answer 24

Bridging veins

Question 25

What blood vessels cause a subarachnoid haemorrhage>

Answer 25

Circle of Willis

Question 26

Cause of traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage?

Answer 26

Rapid rotational movement of head

Question 27

Result of traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage?

Answer 27

Immediately unconscious and in cardiac arrest

Question 28

Define diffuse axonal injury

Answer 28

Immediate and prolonged coma with no apparent mass lesion or metabolic abnormality

Question 29

Define traumatic axonal injury?

Answer 29

Damaged axons due to trauma

Question 30

Traumatic Axonal Injury (TAI) classes?

Answer 30

Focal or diffuse

Question 31

Post mortem injuries

Answer 31

Animal predation,

Insect predation

Question 32

Clues there has been a post mortem injury?

Answer 32

Lack of vital reaction,

Parchmentation