Forensics

Question 1

What are the three major events that occur after the heart stops beating?

Answer 1

Livor mortis (pooling of blood)
Rigor mortis (muscle contracture due to lack of ATP)
Algor mortis (cooling of body)

Question 2

How long has the body been dead?

1. ) Warm, not stiff
2. ) Warm, stiff
3. ) Cold, stiff
4. ) Cold, not stiff

Answer 2

1. ) <3 hours
2. ) 3-8 hours
3. ) 8-36 hours
4. ) >36 hours

Question 3

What is putrefactive decomposition?

Answer 3

most common, occurs in warm places
bacteria mediated from the cecum
RLQ discoloration (green)

Question 4

What is adipocere decomposition?

Answer 4

happens when body is submerged in water

lipid decomposition resulting in wax covering of body

Question 5

What is mummification?

Answer 5

happens in dry climates or if body is in a pit bog

Question 6

What is Manner of Death?

Answer 6

Judicial opinion

NASHU (Natural, Accident, Suicide, Homicide, Undetermined)

Question 7

Who can certify MoD in unnatural causes?

Answer 7

Forensic pathologists or anyone with a certification (justice of peace)

Question 8

What is Cause of Death?

Answer 8

Initiator event (either natural or injury) that leads to death
determined by autopsy

Question 9

Which one is a cause of death and a description of death?

GSW
CP Arrest

Answer 9

COD: CSW
Description: CP Arrest

Question 10

Why would you conduct a forensic exam?

Answer 10

if suspecting or ruling out an unnatural cause of death/foul play

Question 11

Why do hospitals have less than 5% autopsy rate?

Answer 11

time consuming
expensive
don’t wanna risk finding an undiagnosed dz and get sued (everyone but the ME can get sued)

Question 12

Does the ME have a duty to the family?

Answer 12

No, ME duty is to society

Question 13

What are the types of blunt force injuries?

Answer 13

Abrasion
Laceration
Contusion

Question 14

What is an abrasion?

Answer 14

epidermis injury caused by friction scraping or crushing
oozes blood but not a lot
heals and forms scab

Question 15

What is a brush abrasion?

Answer 15

• scrape (caused by gliding/sliding force)

- rolls of tissue opposite to the direction of the force (scraping the skin to that direction)

Question 16

What is a patterned abrasion?

Answer 16

looks like the appearance of an object that contacted the epidermis

Question 17

What are lacerations?

Answer 17

irregular tear on skin or organ caused by blunt force trauma

Question 18

What are contusions?

Answer 18

soft tissue hemorrhage from ruptured blood vessels without epidermal breakage

Question 19

What factors determine the severity of a contusion?

Answer 19

amount of force applied
tissue vascularity
type of tissue (more severe if tissue is loose)
location (more easy bruising if over bone)
older age/comorbidities (more easy bruising)

Question 20

How can you “age” a contusion?

Answer 20

Yellow bruise = 18 hours or older

Question 21

What are incise wounds?

Answer 21

injuries that is deeper than it is longer, longer than a puncture (which is rounded and deeper than it is wider)
made by sharp object

Question 22

What type of incise wounds do ice picks make?
What type of incise wounds do single edged blades make?
What type of incise wounds do double edged blades make?

Answer 22

• appears like shotgun pellet wound
• triangle shaped
• rounded diamond shaped

Question 23

Why do long guns and bigger bullets cause more damage?

Answer 23

Faster velocity, even if the bullet is bigger

Question 24

How would you determine if a GSW to the head is entry or exit wound?

Answer 24

Entry wound: wounds the outer table of the skull

Exit wound: wounds the inner table of the skull

Question 25

What is a defining feature of wounds to the skull?

Answer 25

Wounds “stops” before a previous fracture and does not cross them, can help time the wounds

Question 26

What are contact wounds?

What are intermediate wounds?

What are distant wounds?

Answer 26

• dirt, powder grains and soot in depth of wound
• stippling and powder tattooing pattern, burns in to the skin
• no tattooing patter, no soot or powder in the depths of the wound

Question 27

What is the difference between the mechanism of death and cause of death?

Answer 27

Mechanism: final blow/immediate cause (hemorrhage)

Cause of death: initiator/proximate cause (GSW)

Question 28

What is the wounding formula?

Answer 28

W = Ex1/Tx1/AxK

E= 1/2 mv^2
T=time
A=area
K=modifying factors (elasticity of object or tissue target)

Question 29

How does area affect severity of damage?

Answer 29

A smaller area hit with the same density will have more damage vs. a bigger area