forensic trauma

Question 1

what are types of defensive type injuries ?

Answer 1

blunt and sharp force
passive - arms/legs, sliced/shelved with skin flaps over backs of hands and forearms
active - victim tries to grab weapon, palmar or web spacing

Question 2

what are features of self-inflicted injury ?

Answer 2

commonly sharp force
usually wrists/forearms, chest, abdomen
parallel, multiple and tentative incisions

Question 3

what volumes of blood loss from brain bleeds are there and what do they cause ?

Answer 3

35ml - symptomatic
40-50ml - clinical deterioration, life-threatening
80-100 ml commonly fatal
150ml - fatal

Question 4

what causes traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage ?

Answer 4

rapid rotational head movement - punch to jaw/neck
rupture of vessels and brain base
immediately unconscious and cardiac arrest

Question 5

what are different types of diffuse brain injury ?

Answer 5

diffuse axonal damage - immediate and prolonged coma, no apparent mass lesion or metabolic abnormality
traumatic axonal damage - damaged axon due to trauma