Forensics Part 1

Question 1

Define Cause of death

Answer 1

condition, disease, injury that caused the mechanism of death

Question 2

Define Mechanism of death

Answer 2

final pathophysiological event that results in death

Question 3

Accurate death certification schema

Answer 3

Mechanism of Death due to Cause of Death = manner of death

Question 4

What elements may encompass an opinion on the manner of death besides the autopsy?

Answer 4

scene where body was found/where person had died

Question 5

Manners of death

Answer 5

Natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined

Question 6

Murder vs. homicide

Answer 6

homicide is the killing of one person by another (ex. MVC), while murder is the intentional, criminal killing of one person by another

Question 7

Why does an accurate death certificate serve the public interest?

Answer 7

Medical Examiners do not work for families, but work for the public in order to determine the probability of foul play or some other crime–potentially something that may be solved or avoided in the future.

Question 8

Rigor mortis

Answer 8

body/muscles are stiff, peaks at 24 hours

Question 9

Algor mortis

Answer 9

cooling of body, takes a longer amount of time to establish than rigor mortis

Question 10

Livor mortis

Answer 10

blood becomes fixed or pooled

Question 11

Putrefactive decomposition

Answer 11

endogenous bacteria go throughout the body in order to reduce it to liquid/gas; occurs in temperate climates

Question 12

Adipocere formation decomposition

Answer 12

occurs when a body is fully immersed in water, saponification of the skin

Question 13

Mummification decomposition

Answer 13

occurs in dry, hot environments; body becomes wrinkled and is often well preserved

Question 14

Status and training of medical examiners

Answer 14

Licensed physician and pathologist

Question 15

Ability to determine time of death by a ME

Answer 15

not a very accurate way to determine this and is most often not exactly correct or precise

Question 16

Coroner

Answer 16

elected position that does not require medical expertise, may be able to sign death certificate

Question 17

Justice of Peace

Answer 17

elected or chosen, may be able to sign death certificates

Question 18

Major misconceptions of forensics

Answer 18

Time of death cannot always be determined, testing takes a while and is not instantaneous, legal data bases are not a real thing

Question 19

Role of medical examiner

Answer 19

assign a cause of death and a manner of death

Question 20

Hospital autopsies are usually done to determine…

Answer 20

natural causes of death

Question 21

Why are autopsy rates so low?

Answer 21

prevent legal cases and issues

Question 22

What type of death certificate may physicians legally sign?

Answer 22

natural

Question 23

What type of death certificates may MEs legally sign?

Answer 23

natural, accident, homicide, suicide, undetermined

Question 24

Function of criminology in medicolegal investigation

Answer 24

responsible for profiling, fingerprints, voiceprints, facial recognition, handwriting analysis, etc.

Question 25

Function of entomologist in medicolegal investigation

Answer 25

look at types of insects in body to locate wound sites, among other things

Question 26

Ionizing radiation use and long term effects

Answer 26

Diagnostic, therapeutic uses but can cause fibrosis, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and teratogenesis

Question 27

Most susceptible systems to radiation injury

Answer 27

hematopoietic and lymphoid systems

Question 28

Sites of Radiation Injury

Answer 28

1-2 Sv lymphocytes, 2-10 Sv Bone Marrow, 10-20 Sv small bowel, >50 Sv brain

Question 29

Types of wounds produced by blunt force

Answer 29

abrasion, contusion, laceration

Question 30

Wounding formula

Answer 30

W= E x 1/T x 1/A x K

Question 31

Definition of contusion

Answer 31

bruise that results from hemorrhage into soft tissue due to rupture of subcutaneous blood vessels by blunt force injury

Question 32

Extent and severity of a contusion depends on what factors?

Answer 32

amount of force, vascularity of tissue, type of tissue, location of tissue, easy bruisability

Question 33

Most significant bruise color

Answer 33

Yellow, presence indicates that bruise is 18 hours or holder

Question 34

Definition of abrasion

Answer 34

wound in which epidermis is injured, produced by scraping away epidermis or crushing of the epidermis by direct pressure or tangential blow, oozes serum or blood

Question 35

Types of abrasions

Answer 35

brush, patterned, impact

Question 36

Laceration

Answer 36

splitting or separation of the skin, not from incise, but blunt force

Question 37

Comorbid factors that may exacerbate wounding

Answer 37

coagulopathies, bleeding disorders, age, liver disease

Question 38

Stab wound

Answer 38

sharp force injury in which depth of wound is greater than length

Question 39

Energy formula/wounding potential of guns

Answer 39

KE = (1/2)m x V^2 | Velocity is significantly more important

Question 40

Contact/close range wound

Answer 40

marginal abrasion; soot or power in wound

Question 41

Intermediate range wound

Answer 41

marginal abrasion, powder tattooing/stippling around wound

Question 42

Distant range wound

Answer 42

marginal abrasion, no powder tattooing/stippling, no soot/powder in depths of wound

Question 43

Skull entry wounds

Answer 43

sharply circumscribed and inner table is beveled

Question 44

Skull Exit wound GSW

Answer 44

not circumscribed, outer table beveled

Question 45

Can skull fractures be more accurately time stamped?

Answer 45

Yes, fractures from a blunt force or GSW do not ramify across previous fracture lines,

Question 46

Low velocity wounds

Answer 46

small entry, no exit

Question 47

High velocity wounds

Answer 47

relatively small entry, big exit

Question 48

Macro level surveillance of crime scene includes...

Answer 48

safeguarding, surveying, documenting, proper approach to specimen retrieval

Question 49

Micro level surveillance of crime scene includes...

Answer 49

biologic materials retrieval and transmittal vs. inorganic specimens/substances

Question 50

Organization of crime scene by ME

Answer 50

alphanumeric gridding