Non-Accidental Injuries Flashcards
Injuries to Animals that Raise a Veterinarian’s Suspicion for NAI…
-REPETITIVE INJURIES in various stages of healing
-Fracture (skull, teeth, ribs)
-Bruising
-Damage to claws (torn pads/debris caught between pads can point to evidence of dragging)
Documentation Process (skip)
Important to consider the following…
-How does the animal respond to me touching the injuries vs not touching the injuries
-Does their behavior change before/after administering pain relieving drugs?
-How is the animal walking? Any asymmetric swelling?
Document the following:
-Sketches
-Measurement notes
-Photography -FROM ALL SIDES- proximal, close-up, distant, overall
-ID of physical trauma -skin thickness and coat
-RADIOLOGY to see whats going on internally
-Have we had broken ribs in the past?
-Fractures in the past?
Categories of Blunt Force Trauma… (FLAB)
- Bruises
- Lacerations
- Abrasions
- Fractures
BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA
Force from a fist, foot, an object or by throwing an animal against a hard surface
-Injuries to recessed/protected parts of the body suggest assault (and injuries on ALL PLANES of the body)
-Injuries distributed over only prominences of the body and on only ONE PLANE suggest INNOCENCE
-NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A SHARP OBJECT
Contusions (Bruising)
-Internal bruising may be much larger than what is shown on the outer skin layer (surface)
-Shaving will reveal injuries
-Document presence of healing bruises
(important to consider healing bruises and how the different colors change over time!)
Abrasion
-Process of scraping/wearing something away
-Often occur with blunt force trauma
Examples of abrasions:
-Scratches - fingernail/sharp object
-Scrapes/brush abrasions- blunt object scrapes off skin
-Impact - crushing injuries by blunt object
Laceration
-A TEAR to the skin CAUSED by blunt trauma
-TISSUE BRIDGES PRESENT HERE!
(ragged edges with bridges of soft tissue between the edges of the wound)
-Tissue bridges signify that the skin hasn’t split properly!
ON FINAL: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LACERATIONS AND CUTS
Laceration:
-A tear to the skin CAUSED by blunt trauma
-TISSUE BRIDGES PRESENT HERE!
Cut:
-A wound caused by a sharp object (shard of glass)
-NO TISSUE BRIDGES PRESENT
Avulsion
-Rips skin/soft tissue off underlying bone
-Can be deep enough to involve internal organs
-Common in dog fighting; one dog can completely rip the skin off of another
Fractures
-Depends on the forces that act upon the bones of an animal
-Depend on WHICH bone it is, the age of the animal, etc.
-Some areas will break easily than others!
-Radiologists will assess what type of forces were involved that would have caused a fraction to occur!
Rib Fractures
-COMMON W/ BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA
(throwing animals off buildings, being hit, kicked, or thrown against a blunt object)
-Common for ribs to break off in groups b/c they are so close together!
-More than one grouping suggests there is more than one focused application of force
Considerations:
-How many ribs are broken?
-Are they on both sides or just one?
-Have they broken off in groups?
Abuse vs Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA)
Abused animals
MORE OF…
-head injuries
-rib fractures
-tooth fractures
-claw damage
MVA
MORE OF…
-skin abrasions/injuries
-lung collapse
-bruising
-hind end injury
-ONE SIDE ONLY
Motor Vehicle Accidents
-MOST COMMON EXCUSE FOR BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA
-Impact injuries on animal should be CONSISTENT with MVA accusation
-Most likely for animal to be hit on the left side of the body; animal is coming from left side; we drive on the right
-ONE SIDE ONLY
Falls
Evaluate…
-Distance fallen
-How they fell and height of fall
-Species
-Age
-Injuries must be CONSISTENT with a fall
(animal would have fallen directly downward!)
Swinging/Dragging Injuries
Swinging:
-Grabbed by tail
-Multiple Injuries
-Dislocations
Dragging:
-Abrasions (containing debris from surface)
-Must determine if animal was alive when dragged
-TOXICOLOGY HERE TO SEE IF THEY WERE SEDATED?
-Was the animal attached to the vehicle and dragged?
(Physical evidence HERE: blood evidence, cord, chain used to drag, etc.)
CATEGORIES OF SHARP FORCE INJURIES INCLUDE…
-Stab Wounds (deeper injury rather than length)
-Incised Stab Wounds
-Incised Wounds (longer rather than depth)
-Chop Wounds
-Mutilations
-Dog & Predator Attacks
-Ritualistic Crimes
WHAT SHOULD YOU DOCUMENT WHEN STAB WOUNDS ARE PRESENT?
-Single or multiple?
(Grouping is important to see if consistent w/ animal trying to get away)
-Appearance of wound can indicate type of weapon used
-X RAY
(knives can break off in body)
(depth of wound: gives us minimum depth of blade!)
Incised Stab Wounds
-A stab wound changes to incised
-Stabbing and pulling sensation which causes the weapon to cut through tissue once its removed
-NO TISSUE BRIDGES
Incised Wounds
-Creates cut by sharp edged object such as knives or glass
-Length and depth DO NOT correlate to type of weapon used
-NO TISSUE BRIDGES
Chop Wounds
-Injury may be a combination of sharp and blunt trauma
-Have incised trauma to the soft tissues/bony fractures
Dog & Predator Attacks
-Bite mark analysis
-Trace materials caught in frayed nails
-DNA testing to determine species
-Abrasions from dragging
Mutilations
-Complete/partial dismemberment
-Must determine if animal was alive or sedated for any portion of it
What are the 3 types of burn classifications?
- Electrical
- Chemical
- Thermal
Burn Patterns
-Depth of injury can indicate whether the exposure was long/short
-How much of the body was involved?
Thermal Burns
-Caused by heated objects
-Fires
-Cigarettes
-Ovens (microwaves too)
-Hot liquids & steam
Chemical Burns
-May be internal, external, or both
-Degree of injury depends on type of chemical, strength of chemical, length of exposure, etc.
ON FINAL! WHAT ARE SOME OF THE AGENTS USED THAT CAUSE BURNS?
- Oxidizing Agent
- Dehydrating Agents
- Denaturing Agents
- Corrosive Agents
- Vesicants
Electrical Burns
-Damage from current, voltage, heat generated
Projectiles
-Firearms
-Pellet Guns
-Arrows
-Handguns - semi-automatic/revolver
-Rifles
-Shotguns
-Ammunition
Gunshot Wounds
-FULL BODY X RAYS NEEDED
-You may still have fragments leftover in the body!
-The “exit wound” could be caused by bone flying OUT and is not the actual bullet
Asphyxia
FOUR CLASSIFICATIONS:
- Suffocation
- Strangulation
- Mechanical Asphyxia
- Drowning
Suffocation
Death by oxygen deprivation
Examples:
-Choking
-Smothering
Choking
Death by accidental ingestion or aspiration of foreign material
Examples:
-Food
-Tennis balls
Smothering
Mechanical obstruction/occlusion of air passage
Examples:
-Plastic bag over head
-Placing entire animal into plastic bag
-Live burial
-Placing object over face and pressing down (pillow)
ON FINAL: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGATURE STRANGULATION AND HANGING?
Ligature Strangulation:
-Pressure is by a force other than the animal’s body weight
-A tightened force is being applied by someone around the animal’s neck
-Will NOT have an inverted V PATTERN
(Furrow in the neck with a gap where ligature was grasped and tightened!)
Hanging:
-Relying on the animal’s body weight to apply pressure on the neck
-Using the body weight of the animal itself to suffocate the animal
-WILL SEE INVERTED V PATTERN HERE!
-Extreme struggling of victim prior to death (rotation)
Manual Strangulation
-External pressure on the neck using hands, forearms, or other limbs
-Looking for compression of the jugular and corroded artery
-Dissection of neck during necropsy will be needed
Drowning
-Death due to asphyxia while immersed in a liquid
-Loosing dogs in animal fighting will most often be drowned
-May be total body/just enough to cover the airway openings
Malicious Posioning
-Elimination of a nuisance animal
-Animals that make excessive noise, trespass, threaten humans, animals, damage property, injure livestock etc.
-Revenge on a person
-Burglars poison pets, watchdogs, or guard dogs to facilitate access
-Domestic Violence- poisoning an animal to gain control over its owner
Accidental Poisoning
-Improperly stored household chemicals
-Contaminated food
-Plants (pesticide sprayed on plants to kill weeds)
