forensic medicine

Question 1

It is the termination of life. The cessation of all the vital functions of the body, without the
possibility of resuscitation. It is irreversible loss of the properties of living matter.

Answer 1

death

Question 2

death occurs when there is irreversible coma, absence of electrical brain
activity and complete cessation of the vital functions without possibility of resuscitation.

Answer 2

Brain Death

Question 3

death occurs when there is continuous and persistent cessation
of heart action and respiration.

Answer 3

Cardio-Respiratory Death

Question 4

state of the body in which there is complete, persistent and
continuous cessation of the vital functions of the brain, heart and lungs which maintain life and
health; ultimen mariens.

Answer 4

Somatic Death or Clinical Death

Question 5

refers to death of individual cells (3-6 hours later)

Answer 5

Molecular or Cellular Death

Question 6

Not really death but merely a transient
loss of consciousness or temporary cessation of the vital functions of the body on account of
disease, external stimulus or other forms of influence; May arise especially in hysteria, uremia,
catalepsy and electric shock, drowning, still-birth.

Answer 6

“Apparent Death” or “State of Suspended Animation”

Question 7

Is the disease, injury or combination of disease and injury responsible for the fatality

Answer 7

cause of death

Question 8

Any injury or disease that produces a physiological derangement in the body that results in the
individual dying

Answer 8

cause of death

Question 9

GSW of the head, SW of the chest, lung carcinoma, coronary atherosclerosis

Answer 9

cause of death

Question 10

Is that which, in a natural and continuous sequence unbroken by any efficient intervening cause,
produces the end result and without which the end result would not have occurred

can stand alone

Answer 10

underlying or proximate cause of death

Question 11

The underlying COD should be an etiologically-specific disease or injury that triggered the chain
of events leading to death and without which death would not have occurred

Answer 11

underlying or proximate cause of death

Question 12

A disease or condition that occurred as a result of the underlying cause of death but was not the
final complication or immediate cause of death.

may not be identifiable in all cases.

Answer 12

Antecedent Cause of Death (Intervening or Intermediate)

Question 13

Is the final complication resulting from the underlying cause of death, occurring closest to the time
of death and directly causing death.

Answer 13

Immediate Cause of Death

Question 14

A complication of the underlying cause interposed between proximate causation and fatal result

Answer 14

Immediate Cause of Death

Question 15

Are the alterations of physiology and biochemistry whereby the causes exert their lethal effect

Answer 15

mechanism of death

Question 16

Physiological derangement produced by the COD that results in death

Never etiologically-specific

Answer 16

mechanism of death

Question 17

Hemorrhage, sepsis, cardiac arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, asphyxia

Answer 17

mechanism of death

Question 18

Hemopericardium with cardiac tamponade (mechanism) due to ruptured infarct of myocardium
(immediate cause) due to arteriosclerotic heart disease (underlying cause)

Answer 18

example langs

Question 19

It refers to the circumstances that led to death.

It is an explanation of how the cause of death came about, either natural or violent

Answer 19

manner of death

Question 20

Accidents, suicide, homicide and therapeutic complication

Answer 20

manner of death

Question 21

reflects an opinion based on available information: Activity just before death,
recent symptoms, previous medical records, scene investigation and other pertinent information

Answer 21

manner of death

Question 22

those caused exclusively (100%) by disease

Answer 22

Natural deaths

Question 23

Accidents, homicide or suicide

Answer 23

Violent deaths

Question 24

someone else did something wrong that set in motion a process that resulted in the person’s death

Answer 24

homicide

Question 25

the person did something that resulted in his or her death, and this was more or less what the person intended

Answer 25

suicide

Question 26

deaths resulted from some kind of unplanned, unintended injury

Answer 26

accident

Question 27

arise from predictable complications of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures nonjudgmental and non-accusatory not medical malpractice

Answer 27

therapeutic complication

Question 28

When the circumstances and findings leave reasonable doubt about the classification

Answer 28

undetermined

Question 29

there is insufficient information about the circumstances surrounding the death to make a ruling, or in some instances when the COD is unknown

Answer 29

undetermined

Question 30

Those deaths where the all available facts related to the death investigation fail to allow for a reasonable classification using the traditional designated manners.

Answer 30

unclassified

Question 31

There is generally ample information available from the death investigation and there is unlikely to be additional information that could be made available to influence manner determination.

Answer 31

unclassified

Question 32

If I wrongfully bite you, and you go to the hospital and is rightfully treated with penicillin, and you die of anaphylaxis (allergic reaction) as a result of the penicillin injection

Answer 32

homicide

Question 33

If a person shoots himself, and spends six months in the hospital recovering, and dies of a pulmonary embolus from being at bed rest for so long,

Answer 33

still suicide

Question 34

If a person dies of Pseudomonas sepsis (generalized infection) while undergoing a bone marrow transplant for leukemia,

Answer 34

therapeutic complication

Question 35

Changes in the muscle after death Postmortem rigidity Stiffening of death

Answer 35

Rigor Mortis

Question 36

A chemical reaction that causes rigidity in the muscle groups or stiffening of the body after death due to the disappearance or depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from the muscle

Answer 36

Rigor Mortis

Question 37

occurs because metabolic activity continues in the muscles after death. ATP is needed to maintain the relaxation of the muscles. So long as the store of glycogen in the muscle is sufficient to permit the regeneration of ATP by the formation of lactic acid, the muscle remains lax.

Answer 37

Rigor Mortis

Question 38

Usually appears 2-4 hrs after death Fully develops in 6-12 hrs Muscles return to a near-flaccid state in approximately 24-36 hours

Answer 38

Rigor Mortis

Question 39

The onset of rigor mortis is accelerated – due to exertion, epileptic seizure, fever or high body temperature, some poisons (eg. strychnine)

Answer 39

true

Question 40

May indicate whether a body has been moved after death → If a body is moved to another location while in full rigor, it will remain in its original position until rigor passes

Answer 40

true

Question 41

exposure to temperature above 75‟ (placed in boiling water or burned to death), coagulate the muscle proteins causing the muscles to be rigid. Body assumes a “pugilistic attitude” (lower and upper extremities flexed, and hands clenched.

Answer 41

heat stiffening

Question 42

stiffening is due to the solidification of fats when exposed to freezing temperature.

Answer 42

Cold Stiffening

Question 43

the instantaneous rigidity of the muscles which occurs at the moment of death due to extreme nervous tension, exhaustion, and injury to the nervous system or to the chest. immediately after death Only certain group of muscles; asymmetrical may or may not appear

Answer 43

Cadaveric Spasm or Instantaneous Rigor

Question 44

known as postmortem lividity (PML) / cadaveric lividity / postmortem hypostasis / postmortem sugillation

Answer 44

Livor Mortis

Question 45

Setting of blood in the dependent regions of the body following death Gravitational pooling of blood

Answer 45

Livor Mortis

Question 46

Blood still fluid in form inside blood vessels for 6-8 hours Changes as position of the body change (PML is UNFIXED)

Answer 46

Hypostatic lividity

Question 47

Coagulated inside blood vessels or diffused into tissues | Change in position will not change its location (PML is FIXED)

Answer 47

Diffusion lividity

Question 48

Evident within 30 minutes to 2 hrs. after death → Intensifies over time Becomes “fixed” in approximately 8-12 hrs → If a body is moved before that times, it will shift

Answer 48

Livor Mortis

Question 49

In asphyxia, the lividity is

Answer 49

dark

Question 50

Hydrocyanic acid

Answer 50

bright red

Question 51

Phosphorus

Answer 51

dark brown

Question 52

deaths due to carbon | monoxide (CO), exposure to cold temperatures and in deaths due to cyanide poisoning.

Answer 52

cherry red to pinkish colo

Question 53

The cooling of the body after death

Answer 53

Algor Mortis

Question 54

Body cools following death at approximately 1.5F or 1C per hour → under normal conditions and assuming the body’s temperature at death is 98.6F or 37C

Answer 54

true

Question 55

Involves two processes: autolysis and putrefaction

Answer 55

decomposition

Question 56

Aseptic tissue breakdown due to action of enzymes (prominent in pancreas) Auto-digestive changes after death

Answer 56

autolysis

Question 57

Tissue breakdown due to bacteria Breakdown of complex proteins into simpler components, associated with the evolution of foul-smelling gases due to bacteria Lag phase of 3-4 hrs.

Answer 57

Putrefaction

Question 58

Putrefaction + autolysis - Producing gas (fermentation) - Emergence of decompositional fluid (purge fluid) from nose and mouth - Color change (Hb breakdown)

Answer 58

Wet decomposition

Question 59

Dehydration of the whole body which results in the shrinking and preservation of the body.

Answer 59

Mummification (dry decomposition)

Question 60

Softening of the tissues when in fluid medium in the absence of microorganism, ex. Death of fetus in utero

Answer 60

Maceration

Question 61

Condition wherein fatty tissues are transformed into soft brownish-white substance known as adipocere (waxy material, rancid or moldy in odor, floats in water, dissolves in ether or alcohol).

Answer 61

Adipocere Formation or Saponification

Question 62

As the time since death increases, it also increases in the vitreous

Answer 62

K+ level

Question 63

determined by the degree and rapidity of decomposition rather than the time interval from death→ anything that hastens decomposition

Answer 63

K+ level

Question 64

“PMI can be approximated by the state of digestion of the stomach contents. It normally takes at least a couple of hours for foods to pass from the stomach to the small intestines; a meal still largely in the stomach implies death shortly after eating, while an empty or nearly-empty stomach suggests a longer time period between eating and death”

Answer 64

true/Stomach contents

Question 65

Non-scientific markers - though “unscientific”, it is often more accurate than determinations made by “scientific” means - Pile of newspaper in front of the house - Uncollected mails - Dated receipt or slips of paper in the deceased’s pockets - ATM/Credit card transaction

Answer 65

Environment factors

Question 66

Scientific markers - Insect activity - Decomposition

Answer 66

Environment factors