forensics Flashcards
blunt force injury
abrasion: scrapes, wound in which epidermis is injured
contusion: bruises resulting from hemorrhage of soft tissue due to rupture of subcutaneous blood vessels, epidermis is intact
laceration: force applied to skin overcomes tensile strength causing it to split, look for bridging
sharp force injury
stab: depth of wound in greater than width produced from a pointed edge object
gun shout wound to the head
outer table of skull is sharply circumscribed, inner table is beveled in entry wounds and do not ramify across previous fracture lines
cause of death
the proximate cause, whatever caused the mechanism of death
ex. cardiac disease leading to fatal cardiac arrhythmia
ex. cancer leading to fatal thromboses
manner of death
medical legal judgement by legally constituted medical examiner. can change from natural to homicide, etc.
(natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined)
mechanism of death
the sudden event causing the death
ex. infarction of the brain due to longstanding atherosclerosis
ex. pulmonary embolism due to malignancy
abrasions
brush: produced by grazing or sliding friction
impact:
patterned: abrasion recapitulates the pattern of the surface appearance of the instrument
