Forensics Flashcards
superfetation
the occurrence of a second conception during pregnancy, giving rise to embryos of different ages in the uterus
Justinian Code (550 AD)
- regulation of practice of medicine & surgery
- proof of competence by means of examinations
- limitations of numbers of physicians in towns
- penalties for malpractice
- status & function of the medical expert in legal proceedings
Grand challenges in forensic science & death investigation…
- Molecular photo-fitting…
- Chemical imaging, profiling and age estimation of finger marks…
- Advancing autopsy practice… minimally invasive techniques & probes
- Digital forensic imaging and service centres… “Big Data”
Locard’s Principle
When any two objects come into contact there is
always a transfer of material between them…
Forensic medicine
The branch of medicine dealing with the application of medical knowledge to establish facts in civil or criminal legal cases, such as an investigation into the cause and time of a suspicious death
Divisions of Forensic Medicine:
- Medical law, medical malpractice & medical negligence
- Clinical forensic medicine
- Forensic pathology: Thanatology, Traumatology, Forensic science
sourcess of law
Codification of the Law
Court decisions
formal law
statutory law
court proceedings
- Statement (Sworn statement / Affidavit / Expert report)
- Witness order / subpoena
- Pre-Trial Conference
- “Viva voce” evidence / testimony
- Taking the Oath / Solemn Declaration
- “Examination-in-Chief”
- “Cross-examination”
- “Re-examination”
types of death
Somatic
Irreversibly loses innate personality, unconscious, unable to be aware of (or to communicate with) their environment, and unable to appreciate any sensory stimuli or to initiate any voluntary movement
Cellular
Tissues and their constituent cells are dead – no metabolic activity, aerobic respiration
Brain death
Somatic death with circulatory and respiratory spontaneous function
Brainstem death
Need ventilator support because critical centres dead
agonal period
during which the dying process occurs, and in homicide cases, is often the interval between the time of fatal injury and death
indications of death
No pulse - auscultation / ECG Respiration cessation Eyes- Loss of corneal and light reflexes -Fixed unreactive pupils – mid-dilated position, +/- difference in dilatation -Retina – ‘trucking of blood’
PM Changes
Rigor mortis Hypostasis Temperature Supravital reactions Autolysis mummification putrefication adipocere
Putrefaction
Entomology Animal predation Resuscitation Embalming Undertakers fracture
lividity
refers to an unnatural color of the skin
Livor mortis starts in 20–30 minutes, but is usually not observable by the human eye until two hours after death
stages of death
pallor mortis algor mortis rigor mortis livor mortis putrefaction decomposition skeletonization
putrefaction
the process of decay or rotting in a body or other organic matter caused by the uncontrolled growth of innate (gut commensals) and pathogenic micro-organisms
- Initial decay (36 / 72 hrs – 1 week)
- Black putrefaction ( up to 1 month)
- Dry decay then skeletonization
Adipocere
a late-stage postmortem decomposition product consisting of a mixture of free fatty acids (FFAs) formed under favorable conditions due to the hydrolysis of triglycerides in adipose tissu
formation of adipocere - requires immersion in water, burial in moist environment
supravital reactions
False positive signs suggestive of life
12 – 15hrs post death
Mechanical excitability of muscle
Zsakos phenomenon – patella
Localised muscle bulge - biceps
Electrical excitability of muscles
Chemical stimulation of the iris
pm fluid loss Signs
Skin – dry
Corneas – clouded and dry – “tache noire”
Loss of eye-globe tension
Algor mortis
Body cools as metabolic activity ceases post death until it reaches that of the environment
8-12 hours skin
Henssge’s Nomogram
mathematic estimation of the PMI using body temperature, mass and utilises various corrective factors for naked and clothed bodies in still/moving air
Factors affecting hypostasis
Skin colour - less perceptible in dark skins
Quantity of blood in system - e.g. anaemia, haemorrhage
Length of time body lies in the same position
Absent on areas exposed to pressure
‘rule of thumb’ PMI estimate
Body feels warm and is flaccid (dead <3 hours)
Body feels warm and is stiff (dead 3-8 hours)
Body feels cold and is stiff (dead 8-36 hours)
Body feels cold and is flaccid (dead over 36 hours)
Nysten’s law
rigor mortis starts from Face – neck – trunk – upper limbs – lower limbs
factors affecting rigor mortis
Exercise
Age – develops and disappears faster in children than adults
Emaciated
Temperature – the higher the temp, the faster the development of rigor
Cadaveric spasm
rare form of muscular stiffening that occurs at the moment of death and persists into the period of rigor mortis
Casper’s Rule
“When there’s free access to air, a body decomposes twice as fast than if immersed in water and 8 times faster than if buried in earth”
mummification
Dry conditions - desiccation instead of putrefying
Dry and leathery and often brown in colour
Commonly occurs in warm and hot climates, such as in the desert, but if the micro-environment is dry enough, it can occur anywhere
Mummification of finger tips and noses etc. can often be seen in adult bodies at the same time as liquefactive decomposition
Insects (especially moths and beetles) can degrade mummified remains
entymology
Necrophagous species - Invertebrates that feed on the corpse itself
Predators and parasites of necrophagous species - do not feed directly on the corpse
Omnivorous species - Feed on everything
Adventive or opportunistic species - Insects that use corpse as shelter, nest
post mortem artefacts
Animal predation
Post mortem gas bubbling
Right ventricle – not air embolus
Leptomeningeal vessels - not cerebral air embolus
Post mortem blood clots
Artefacts caused by preparation of the body
Undertakers fracture
Embalming - injection sites , change in body colour
death scene
an entity which is created when the police enclose an area of interest in relation to an actual or suspected offence
Diatoms
algae, microscopic unicellular plants that can be found in saltwater, freshwater, soils and on damp surfaces. In a case of “common drowning”, water, containing diatoms, enters the lungs and then passes into the bloodstream where the diatoms are circulated around the body to all body organs
Forensic palynology
the study of pollen, spores and other acid-resistant microscopic plant bodies, including dinoflagellates, to prove or disprove a relationship among objects, people and places that pertain to both criminal and civil cases
Forensic engineering
the application of engineering principles to the investigation of failures or other performance problems of machines, structure, component or material
Anthropology
the study of the biological and cultural aspects of humans
Palynomorphs
Insect and plant remains, particularly micro-charcoal
Postmortem redistribution (PMR)
refers to the changes that occur in drug concentrations after death. It involves the redistribution of drugs into blood from solid organs such as the lungs, liver, and myocardium.
ballistics
Internal Ballistics
Looks at the striations and other marks made to a projectile as it passes through the barrel of a firearm, called rifling
External Ballistics
The study of flight and angle of shot patterns
Terminal Ballistics
The study of the effect of the projectile on or in the target. Wound analysis
Pyrolysis
the thermal degradation of biomass by heat in the absence of oxygen and results in the production of charcoal (solid), bio-oil (liquid), and fuel gases.
most common cause of myocardial rupture
recent myocardial infarction cardiac trauma endocarditis cardiac tumors aortic dissection
hypoxia classification
Histotoxic hypoxia Diminished capability to utilize oxygen Anaemic hypoxia Decreased oxygen carrying capacity Stagnant hypoxia Collapse or reduction of blood circulation Hypoxic hypoxia Diminished oxygen intake
mechanical asphyxia
Suffocation (cutting off the air supply)- Vitiated atmosphere, External airway
Internal airway- Choking (aspiration), Airway swelling or obstruction, airway compression
Neck compression (vascular/airway compression)- Hanging, Strangulation
Chest compression- Compression (traumatic) asphyxia, Postural (positional) asphyxia, Miscellaneous
classic sx of asphyxia
Petechial haemorrhages
Congestion and oedema
Cyanosis
Engorgement of the right heart and fluidity of the blood…
smothering and gagging
Smothering – indicates blockage of the external air passages, usually by a hand or soft fabric
Gagging - fabric or adhesive tape occludes the mouth to prevent speaking or shouting
‘Café coronary’
sudden and unexpected death occurring during a meal due to accidental occlusion of the airway by food