Forensic Aspects of Trauma 1 Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Forensic Aspects of Trauma 1 Deck (16)
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1
Q

What 2 factors does force vary with?

A

Mass of object and square velocity of impact

2
Q

What does kinetic energy equal?

A

kinetic energy = 1/2 mass x velocity(squared)

3
Q

What else should be considered when looking at injury-causing forces?

A

The area over which the force acts

4
Q

What can excessive mechanical force cause (4)?

A
  • Compression
  • Traction
  • Torsion
  • Tangential (shearing)
5
Q

What does resultant damage depend on?

A

Type of mechanical insult AND nature of target tissue

6
Q

How may the appearance/method of causation of a wound be classified?

A
  • Abrasion
  • Contusion (bruise)
  • Laceration
  • Incised wounds
  • Gunshot wounds
  • Burns
7
Q

How may the manner of causation of a wound be classified (3)?

A
  • Suicidal
  • Accidental
  • ˙Homicidal
8
Q

How may the nature of an injury be classified (3)?

A
  • Blunt force
  • Sharp force
  • Explosive
9
Q

What are blunt force injuries caused by?

A

Caused by impact with blunt object

10
Q

How might blunt force trauma appear on the skin (3)?

A
  • Contusions (bruises) - Burst blood vessels in skin
  • Abrasions (graze, scratch) - Scraping of skin surface
  • Lacerations (cut, tear) - Tear/split of skin due to crushing
11
Q

What factor affect prominence of a contusion mark?

A
  • Skin pigmentation
  • Depth and location – occur more readily over loose skin – eyebrow, scrotum
  • Fat - ↑ subcut fat -> bruise more easily
  • Age - Children - skin loose and delicate, Elderly - blood vessels of skin poorly supported
  • Resilient areas – buttocks, abdomen – bruise less easily with given impact than areas with underlying bone which acts as an anvil with skin between bone and inflicting object
  • Coagulative disorders – thrombocytopenia, Von Willebrand’s disease, haemophilia, liver disease (alcoholics), bone marrow disease
12
Q

What are abrasions?

A

Graze/scratch

13
Q

What is a laceration?

A

Cut/tear/split of the skin due to crushing

14
Q

What is sharp force trauma?

A

Injury caused by any weapon with sharp cutting edge - superficial or penetrating

15
Q

What are incised wounds?

A
  • Superficial sharp force injury caused by slashing motion

* Longer on the skin surface than it is deep

16
Q

What are stab wounds?

A
  • Penetrating sharp force injury resulting from thrusting motion
  • Wound depth greater than length on the surface