Midterm 2 Flashcards
What is a pathologist and their role?
A medical doctor who’s role is to determine the cause of death. They examine deaths that are considered sudden, unexpected or violent. They frequently communicate with police in order to reconstruct postmortem events. They also interpret injury patterns/patterned injury
What do pathologists use in order to determine cause of death?
Body fluids, cell samples, tissue samples and autopsy
Who are apart of a investigative team (medico legal death)
Investigators and police, pathologist, coroner and any other forensic experts
Scientific ways of identifying a victim
DNA, fingerprint, autopsy, dental, radiographs, skeletal
Presumptive ways of identifying a victim
Clothing, visual, effects, circumstances, skeletal and autopsy
Time of death estimation
Estimate:
Time of injury to time of death
Time of death to time of discovery
Survival interval
Medical question based on either gross injuries or microscopic findings ( not exact)
Types of postmortem changes used to determine time of death
Livor mortis, rigor mortis, algor mortis, gastric contents, postmortem biochemistry and insects
Livor mortis
Blood settling. It’s onset is 1/2-4 hours after death and it’s max time is 8-12 hours after death. It disappears with decomposition
Rigor mortis
Stiffening of body. Onset: 2-4 hours after death. Maximum time: 8-36 hours. It disappears after 36 hours
Cause of death
Injury or disease which produces physiologic derangement (mechanism) resulting in death
Types of cause of death
Hanging, stab wound, head trauma and drug toxicity
Types of mechanisms of death
Cardio respiratory arrest, asphyxia and hemorrhage
Types of manner of death
Natural, undetermined, accident, suicide, homicide
Reasons to do the complete autopsy
Sudden and good health, unattended by MD, SIDS <5 years, violent or unnatural, suspicious, malpractice
Step 1 of complete autopsy
Info from coroner/police:
Demographics, background preceding death, scene, medical history, medications/drugs and any evidence needed
Step 2 of complete autopsy
External exam:
Blunt trauma injuries: injury pattern, nonspecific, distribution predictable
Step 3 of complete autopsy
Internal exam
Step 4 of complete autopsy
Tests
Impression evidence
Objects or materials which have retained the characteristics of other objects or materials which have been impressed against them
Value of impression evidence
Minimum # of suspects, sex of offender, age of offender, type of shoe, foot size of offender, where suspects came from, what they did at the crime scene, where they went after they left the scene, eliminate suspects, corroborate/ refute witness/suspect statements
Steps to locate visible footwear impressions
Route to scene, point of entry, disturbed area and points of exit
Locating latent impressions
Oblique light is required
Path of contamination
Route responders create to avoid disturbing evidence at a scene
Documentation of footwear impressions
Analysis of impression,description of recovered impressions, FW #, description/sketch of outsole
