Intro To Forensics Flashcards
(12 cards)
Once the heart stops beating, blood collects in the most dependent parts of the body called ___ mortis, then the body stiffens called ___ mortis, and it begins to cool called ___ mortis
Cold delays the development of rigor mortis
** Rigor mortis is not maintained over time, it goes away
So if a body temp is warm and not stiff, death was less than 3 hours (current), if the body temp is warm and stiff death was 3-8 hours (since rigor mortis takes some time to occur), if the body is cold and stpiff death was 8-36 hours (since remember coldness delays rigor mortis) and if the body is cold and not stuff death was 36 or more hours ago (since also remember rigor mortis is not maintained over time)
Livor, Rigor, Algor
___ decomposition occurs rapidly and caused by our own gut flora often associated with a green patch in the lower quadrant of the abdomen where there is the highest load of bacteria in the cecum
___ formation is seen when bodies are found in the water
Mummification is found in dead persons of hot or dry environments like the desert
Putrefactive
Adipocere
Does the family theoretically play any role in the decision to have an autopsy?
Medical examiners make decisions independent of the family
NO
____ (scrapes), ____ (bruises), and ____ (cuts) are ALL due to BLUNT FORCE
____ are characteristic of a laceration due to blunt force
Contusions are bruises and result from hemorrhage into soft tissue due to the rupture of subcutaneous blood vessels by blunt force
Abrasions are a wound in which the epidermis is injured and is produced by friction scraping away epidermis or crushing of the epidermis by direct pressure or a blow tangential to the surface
^** Unlike contusions, abrasions ooze serum or blood (but don’t bleed profusely)
3 types of Abrasion include
1) ___ which are produced by grazing or sliding motions (like in a motorcycle accident) and the “rolls” or “heaps” of tissue at the margin of the wound appears opposite to the direction of the force
2) ___ abrasions
3) ___ abrasion that occurs when the abrasion recapitulates the surface appearance of the instrument like a tire
Abrasions, Contusions, Lacerations
Soft tissue bridges
1) Brush
2) Impact
3) Patterned
The proximate cause is the REAL cause of death and the ___ line is the cause of death
^** CAUSE is anything that leads to the MECHANISM so for example, Gun shot wounds would be the CAUSE and hemorrhage would be the MECHANISM
Last
Autopsies are based on STRUCTURAL findings, not FUNCTIONAL changes and therefore COD (Cause of death) unknown of MOD (Manner of death) undetermined is a valid description
Only medical examiners, justice of the peace, legally constituted Coroners can sign off on a death that is not of natural cause
Police can’t, doctors can’t etc…
For BLUNT FORCE
Wounding is ___ related to time, ____ related to energy, and ___ related to area
^** So if a blow is due to an object, the more rapidly it is swung, the more wounding potential it will be (aka a low time meaning it was swung FAST means a larger Wound)
Same with area, if someone hits you wit a 2x4 versus a small rod (both have the same density, the smaller area rod will cause a larger wounding potential
Inversely, Proportionally, Inversely
If you have a YELLOW coloring to a bruise, then it is AT LEAST ___ hours or older
18
Unlike blunt force trauma, a ___ wound occurs when there is a sharp force injury in which the depth of the wound track is greater than the length of the wound on the skin (aka deeper than longer)
A single edge knife makes a triangle shaped wound and a double edge makes a eclipse
Stab
Gun shot wounds can be ____ where you would see an imprint on the persons skin, ___ where gun powder stippling (aka tattooing) occurs (a few inches up to a foot), distant gunshot wounds can also occur
Contact, intermediate
For gunshot wounds to the head, there is an inner and outer table separated by the dipole in the adult skull
In ___ wounds, the outer table is sharply circumscribed and the inner table beveled
In ___ wounds, the inner table is sharply circumscribed and the outer table is beveled
Entry
Exit
