Post Mortem Interval Flashcards
What are the uses of autopsy in forensic science ?
-serves both the investigation of an individual death
-development of the science as a whole
What are the ethical issues of autopsy ?
-Individuals can’t consent
-some families don’t want government bodies involved in the process
What are pathologists looking for during an autopsy ?
-trauma and healing
-disease
-determine if these are the cause of death
why do autopsies take place ?
-deaths that come to the attention of the coroner require an autopsy
-they are the key foundation of the death investigation and can determine the direction and success of
What are the different categories of deaths ?
-violent
-suspicious- no evidence it was violent
-sudden
-unexpected
-deaths without a doctor in attendance
-deaths in an institution
What are the 8 aims of an autopsy ?
-To determine the cause and manner of death
-To determine the time of death and injury
-To identify the deceased if unknown
-To build a physical profile/life history
-To collect evidence from the body that can be used -To prove or disprove the account given by witnesses
-To document the presence or absence of injuries
-To deduce how these injuries occurred
-To document any natural disease present
What are the wider benefits of autopsies ?
-identification of disease patterns across the community
-notification of infectious agents
-detection of previously unsuspected crimes
-first stage of identification for mutilated, incinerated or highly decomposed remains.
If infectious agents are detected what must the pathologist do ?
-notify the health department (legal obligation)
What are coroners ?
Independent judicial officers who investigate deaths reported to them.
What is the role of a coroner ?
They will make whatever inquiries are necessary to find out the cause of death, including ordering a post-mortem examination, obtaining witness statements and medical records or holding an inquest.
What is an inquest ?
like a court hearing to determine the key facts but no individual is on trial
-it’s intended to support transparency and impartiality as coronoers are independent
What are limitations of coroners ?
-lack expertise
-lack resources (underfunded)
-lack scrutiny if they make a mistake
What are medical examiners ?
Senior medical doctors who are trained in the legal and clinical elements of death certification processes
What is the role of a medical examiner ?
-provide safeguards for the public by providing scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths
-ensure the appropriate direction of deaths to the coroner
-provide a better service for the bereaved and an opportunity for them to raise any concerns
-improve the quality of death certification and mortality data
What is a pathologist ?
A medical doctor who specializes in general pathology- disease and injury and forensic pathology- causes of violent of suspicious death
What is the role of the pathologist ?
-determine cause of death
-manner of death
-reconstruct the wider circumstances
Note evidence to support the identification of the dead
What can antemortem trauma help identify ?
Cases of long term abuse
Who else might pathologists work with ?
-radiologists
-odontologists
-Toxicologists
-Anthropologists
-police
-coroners
How do pathologists work as expert witnesses ?
Must be able to present complex evidence to non-scientists such as juries
What is the cause of death ?
An injury or disease that produces a physiological derangement in the body that results in the death of the individual
What is a physiological derangement ?
Interruption to the normal functions of the human body
What is a mechanism of death ?
The physical derangement itself
What is a manner of death ?
Explains how the cause of death came about
What are the different categories of manner of death ?
-natural
-homicide
-suicide
-accident
-undetermined