Test 1 Material Flashcards
What items are present to produce a time line?
Dated Material: Mail, newspapers, flyers, email. Condition of food present Clothing worn Phone calls Living habits
Algor Mortis
Cooling of body to equilibrate with the surrounding temperature.
Most useful within the first 10-12 hours
Average rate of cooling initially is 1.5 degrees per hour for the first 3 hours
Livor Mortis
Postmortem hypostasis or settling of blood.
Blue/ Purple Lividity
Normal
Pink/Cherry Red Lividity
Carbon Monoxide, Cyanide, Fluoroacetate (insecticide/rodenticide), Refrigeration, hypothermia, water immersion.
Brown Lividity
Sodium Chlorate and inorganic nitrite
Green Lividity
Hydrogen sulfide
Rigor Mortis
Postmortem muscular rigidity
Four types of Postmortem Tissue Changes
- Decomposition or Putrefaction
- Mummification
- Skeletonization
- Saponification or Adipocere
Stage 1 of Decomp/Putrefaction
Enzymes release as part of cellular death and breakdown
Bacteria released from stomach and intestines
Blue-green discoloration of abdomen
Occurs with in 24-36 hours
Stage 2 of Decomp/Putrefaction
Marbling is noted
Occurs within 30-48 hours
Stage 3 of Decomp/Putrefcaction
Gasses are released into the surrounding tissues by bacterial activity.
Body Bloats
Gas and fluid filled blisters can be seen
Occurs within 36-48 hours
Occurs simultaneously with discoloration
Stage 4 of Decomp/ Putrefaction
Loosening of hair, nails, and sheeding of skin
Occurs within 4-7 days
Mummification
Drying of the fluids and tissues of the body
Interrupts the Decomp process
Requires dry, arid conditions, good ventilation, and absence of insects and animals
Seen in early stages within 1 week and completed within 3-6 months
Skeletonization
Removal of soft tissue from the skeletal structure
Dependent on environmental conditions and the types of insects or animals present.
Accelerated by insect and animal activity.
Saponification or Adipocere
Requires a moist environment
Soft body tissues turn into a soap-like or waxy substance.
Rare occurrence
Stops the decomp of the outer portions of the body.
Forensic Medicine
The application of medicine to solve legal problems
Forensic Pathology
The application of post-mortem investigation and examination of the body for use in solving legal problems.
coroner
Individual who is an officer of the court and whose principle duty is to hold an inquisition of death
Medical education is not required.
Usually an elected position
Medical Examiner
Individual who, through post-mortem investigation and examination determines cause and manner of death
Physician who has completed a residency training
Usually an appointed position.
Medicolegal Death Investigator
Individual part of an inquiry into a death of medicolegal importance, examines the body at the scene of death, collects evidence, interprets data and documents findings to determine the casue and manner of death
Trained based on the national guidelines for death investigation
Cause of death
The disease or injury, or combination of disease and injury which are responsible for the fatality.
Manner of Death
An explanation of how the cause arose. can be by natural or violent means
Natual Manner of Death
Caused exclusively by disease
Violent Manner of Death
Accident, Suicide, Homicide
Undetermined Cause and Manner of Death
Circumstances and findings leave reasonable doubt about the exact cause or classification of the death.
Anterior
Toward the front
Posterior
Toward the back
Lateral
Toward the side
Medial
Toward the middle
Midline
Center of head, chest, abdomen
Ventral
Related to the front of the body
Dorsal
Related to the back of the body, hand or foot
Cerebral
Relating to the Brain
Pulmonary
Relating to the lungs
Cardiac
Relating to the heart
Hepatic
Relating to the liver
Renal
Relating to the kidneys
Gastric
Relating to the stomach
Cholecystic
Relating to the gall bladder
Peritoneum
Abdominal cavity
Pleural
Chest cavity about the lungs
Coronary Arteries
Blood vessels supplying the heart
Vein
Thin walled blood vessels, work under pressure to carry blood to the heart
Artery
Muscular walled blood vessels, carry blood away from the heart
Aorta
Large artery connected to the heart, distributes blood to other arteries
Cerebrospinal Fluid
The fluid about the brain and spinal cord.
Supine
Lying on the back
Prone
Lying on the belly
Flexion
Bending a limb
Extension
Straightening out a limb
Abduction
Movement away from the midline of the body
Adduction
Movement toward the midline of the body
Rotation
Circular movements around an axis
Dorsiflexion
Decreasing the angle of the ankle joint so the foot bends backwards
Plantar Flexion
Increasing the angle of the ankle joint so as to “point the toes”
Arteriosclerosis
Hardening of the arteries
Thrombosis
Blood clotting inside blood vessels
Embolus
Thrombus that breaks away and travels to another area of the body
Phlebitis
Inflammation of the veins
Thrombophlebitis
Blood clot in an inflamed vein
Aneurysm
Weakening of the wall of a blood vessel with dilation and often rupture of the vessel causing severe bleeding
Hemorrhage
Bleeding either outside the body or into a body cavity
Infraction
Dead tissue in an organ due to insufficient circulation of blood
Myocardial Infraction
Heart attack
Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Lymphoma, Leukemia
Broad terms for cancer, all malignant are malignant tumors
Emphysema
Chronic lung disease, reduces the ability to breathe
Peritonitis
Inflammation of the abdominal cavity
Pleuritis
“Pleurisy” inflammation of the chest cavity
Pneumonia
Inflammation of the lung
Hypertension
High blood pressure
Cirrhosis
A chronic liver disease with scarring and reduced function; frequently associated with ETOH use but may also be due to hepatitis and other diseases
Fatty Metamorphosis of the Liver
Change in the makeup of the liver due to excessive ETOH and poor diet
Jaundice
Yellow pigmentation of the skin, commonly resulting from liver failure
Uremia
Excess urea in the blood due to kidney failure
Necrosis
Death of tissue
Laceration
Tearing of the skin produced by blunt trauma
Incised Wound (cut)
Result of a sharp-edged object drawn over the skin with sufficient pressure to cause injury, usually longer than it is deep
Bruise
Bluish swelling of blood beneath the skin, also known as a Contusion
Fracture
Broken bone
Subdural Hemorrhage
Bleeding, almost always from injury, between the inside of the skull and the dura which covers the brain. The accumulation of blood produces pressure on the brain
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Bleeding, often spotaneous, sometimes from injury, between the brain and it covers the membrane, the arachnoid
EKG (ECG)
Electrocardiogram, tracing of the electrical activity of the heart
EEG
Electroencephalogram, tracing of the electrical activity of the brain
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, an imaging method used by radiologists to view internal body structures using combinations of radio waves and magnetic fields
CT Scan
Computerized axial tomography, an x-ray procedure enhanced by a computer. This results in a cross-sectional view of a particular part of your body
Ultrasound Imaging
uses high frequency sound waves and their echoes.
Thoracotomy
Surgical opening of the chest
Laparotomy
Surgical opening of th eabdomen
Craniotomy
Surgical opening of the head
Sigmoidoscopy
Looking into the sigmoid colon
Autopsy
Examination of the body of a deceased person, both an external and an internal examination, for the purpose of identifying disease and injury present in order to determine the cause and manner of death
Lumbar Puncture
Needle placed into the Spinal Column to withdraw CSF from about the spinal cord for examination
Next of Kin Hierarchy for Deceased Adult
Spouse
Adult Child
Parents
Siblings
next of Kin Hierarchy for Deceased child
Parents
Adult Sibling
Grandparents
Types of Traumatic Injuries
Blunt Force Gunshot wound Sharp Force Drowning Asphyxia Electrocution Fire Hyperthermia Hypothermia Motor vehicles
Scene response
Clearance from law enforcement Photographs of scene names and contact numbers photos and examination of remains collection of evidence for ME Preparation of remains for transportation
Gunshot wounds
Description, number and location
limited, preliminary external exam at scene
Hands bagged, body wrapped in clean, white sheet and placed in human remains pouch for transport
self-inflicted GSW
Handedness, suicide notes and other limbic evidence, Interviews with family/friends, psychiatric history, prior suicidal tendencies, medical history
Motor Vehicle
Decedent’s place in vehicle, where they wearing a seat belt, did air bags deploy, who is owner of the vehicle, BAC and urine fox, where accident occurred, and jurisdiction
Words to describe Blunt Force Trauma
Laceration, contusion, hematoma, abrasion, fracture
Falls
witnessed or unwitnessed, circumstances of event, what was the distance of the fall, description of surface impacted
Pushed or fell
impacts fairly close to base of structure
Jumped
Impacts further away from base of structure because the push off causes the arcing of the body while falling.
measurements at falling scenes
distance from body to base of structure and from floor to window sill. height of any rails surrounding take off point of structure. Was center of gravity higher or lower.
Asphyxia
Lack of oxygen to the tissues causing unconsciousness or death. Caused from compression of the neck through hanging or strangulation or chemicals such as CO, hydrogen cyanide, or helium
Other forms of asphyxia
Suffocation, choking, smothering, mechanical and positional
What to do with Ligatures
Preserve knots and do not cut through them. ME should take ligature as evidence
Drownings
Is an asphyxial death because there is a lack of oxygen due to water in the airways.
Fresh water drownings
Obtain water in lungs
Salt water
Blood plasma is drawn out of the lungs
Near drowning issues
Pulmonary edema, Pneumonia, irreversible hypoxic brain injury, delayed death
Electrocution
low voltage->minimal injury
high voltage -> obvious burns
Arborization
Red, fern-like pattern on skin and is unique to electrocution and may disappear
Hyperthermia
Increased body temperature at time of death
Malignant hyperthermia
reactions to certain drugs
Hypothermia
Most commonly found and is decreased body temperature at time of death
Hypothermic people found in outdoor scene
could have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, paradoxical undressing, usually no trauma unless injuries caused decedent to be incapacitated.
SIDS
Sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history
Deaths due to Metabolic Error
Rare genetic disorders. Prevent the body from turning food into energy
Optimal infant death investigation
Uniformity of investigation, reporting, and classification. Accurate and early identification of criminal cases.
Three phases of interviewing and interrogation
Entry, Event, and Escape
Entry
pre-interview criteria; assessing the individual
Introduce and identify self and role
Exercise scene safety
Seeking permission to conduct the scene investigation
Interview first responder
establish chain of custody
Event
Investigate the 4 w’s (who, what, when, where) how
Rapport building
Event re-enactment using doll
Photograph scene, body and doll re-enactment
Witness interviews
Developmental milestones 4-5 months
Gross motor - rolls f-b
Fine motor - hands come together
Developmental milestones 6-7 months
Gross- sits without supports and rolls b-f
Fine - Transfers from hand to hand
Developmental milestones 9 months
Gross - crawls, pulls to stand
Fine - pincer grasp
Developmental milestones 12 months
Gross walks
fine - pat-a-cakes, takes objects out of a box
Escape
Disengaging from the interview
