Term
| The part of the forensic sciences that deals with analysis of hair, fibers, glass, paint, etc. is termed _____. |
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Definition
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Term
| What's the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner? |
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Definition
| a coroner may or may not be a physician and may be elected or appointed and investigates not only death investigations but also sexual assaults and psychiatric commitments. A ME is usually a forensic pathologist that is appointed and deals with death investigations. |
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Term
| In louisiana, is the coroner always a physician? |
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Definition
| not always. If there is an MD running for the position, other candidates will automatically be disqualified but there isn't always an MD running |
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Term
| In louisiana, how long is a coroner elected for? |
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Definition
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Term
| T/F The coroner makes the death certificate when there is a coroner's case. |
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Definition
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Term
| T/F An autopsy is always required for coroners cases. |
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Definition
| false, an investigation or external examination of the body may suffice |
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Term
| The decision to perform an autopsy ultimately rests with _______. |
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Definition
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Term
| T/F Louisiana physicians are required by law to promptly report to the coroner's office all coroner's cases which die under their care. |
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Definition
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Term
| Even after autopsy and investigation, approx ___% of the coroner's cases in Orleans Parish are finally established to be natural. |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the two broad categories of death in the medical as well as legal world? |
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Definition
| cardiorespiratory or brain death |
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Term
| What is the cause of death? |
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Definition
| the event, disease or injury, that resulted in death |
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Term
| What is the difference between the proximate cause of death and the immediate cause of death? |
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Definition
proximate: the event which initiated a progressive sequence of pathologic events which terminate in death
immediate: event or complication which immediately precedes and results in death |
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Term
| What is the intervening (intermediate, contribuiting) cause of death? |
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Definition
| the conditions which are usually caused by the proximate cause of death and lead to the immediate cause of death |
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Term
| What is the mechanism of death? |
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Definition
| a series of pathophysiologic occurrences that cause death |
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Term
| What is the manner of death? |
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Definition
| the classification of the death. There are five classifications: natural, homicide, accident, suicide, and unclassified |
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Term
| T/F Dr. Lorusso thinks that cardiorespiratory arrest is a meaningless pseudodiagnosis that should never be put on a death certificate as the cause of death. |
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Definition
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Term
| Name some postmortem changes used to determine time of death. |
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Definition
| rigor mortis, liver mortis, postmortem cooling, rise of potassium concentration in the vitreous humour |
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Term
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Definition
| purplish discoloration imparted to the dependent surfaces of the body as a result of settling of blood in cutaneous vessels under the influence of gravity |
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Term
| In the great majority of SUD cases, the cause of death is found in which organs? |
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Definition
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Term
| What are the most common cardiac causes of SUD? |
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Definition
| ventricular fibrillation associated with stenotic coronary atherosclerosis. Also, recent coronary thrombosis, and less commonly myocarditis, aortic stenosis, mitral valve prolapse, and assymmetric septal hypertrophy. Possible coronary artery spasms and myocardial irritability leading to rhythym disturbances |
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Term
| What are the common pulmonary causes of SUD? |
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Definition
| PE, asthma, and pneumonia. Also, massive hemorrhage or aspiration of a foriegn object (cafe coronary) |
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Term
| What are the cerebral causes of SUD? |
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Definition
| hemorrhage and seizures (anemic strokes are associated with sudden symptoms but rarely with sudden death) |
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Term
| T/F Deaths due to AIDS should be reported to the coroner. |
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Definition
| true, becaues it deals with infectious disease |
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Term
| What are protracted unnatural deaths? |
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Definition
| when an individual dies of immediate natural causes due to a proximate unnatural cause |
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Term
| What do you call a broad, superficial defect in teh surface of an organ or tissue? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do you call a diffuse focus of extravasted erythrocytes present in a diffuse distribution within the tissue spaces? |
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Definition
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Term
| What's the medical term for bruise? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do you call a mass of extravasated erythrocytes which, due to its mass effect, disrupts tissues and distorts anatomic relationships? |
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Definition
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Term
| A laceration is caused by ... which results in the appearance of ... |
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Definition
| excessive shear stresses, small strands of tissue which bridge the laceration gap |
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Term
| What do you call a well-defined defect caused by a sharp instrument and which is greater in length than in depth? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do you call a well-defined defect due to sharp-edged instrument and which is greater in depth than in length? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do you call a deep but very narrow usually rounded wound due to penetration by a long slender instrument such as an ice pick or fork? |
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Definition
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Term
| What do you call a tearing or breaking open of a hollow viscus? |
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Definition
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Term
| What characterizes a gun shot with the muzzle on the skin? |
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Definition
| searing of the woiund margin from the flame and a dense, narrow, well-defined zone of soot on the skin surface immediately adjacent to the hole. Often there is a muzzle imprint |
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Term
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Definition
| punctate reddish discoloration and abrasion of the skin surface at the oints of impact of individual particles of powder. Can't be washed away and only seen in living skin |
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Term
| What do you call the presence of visible particulate powder beneath the skin surface that cannot be washed away? |
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Definition
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Term
| How does the zone of soot differ when the gun is closer or farther away from the body? |
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Definition
| zone of soot is larger and less dense in a near contact wound as it has more space in which to spread out. |
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Term
| What characterizes a near contact wound? |
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Definition
| stippling, powder zone that is larger and less dense, tatooing, NO MUZZLE IMPRINT and soot and powder in the wound |
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Term
| What characterizes an intermediate range wound? |
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Definition
| wound that is 3-6 inches (or 18-24 inches for a large hand gun). You have stipple but no soot, searing or imprint. |
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Term
| What happens to the zone of stipple as the gun is further away from the body? |
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Definition
| it spreads out and becomes less and less dense until it is no longer present |
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Term
| GSWs though the skull can be directionally determined due to the presence of ... |
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Definition
| beveling. The bone will slope outwards as the bullet passes through |
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Term
| T/F When you remove a bullet from a patient, you should engrave your initials on it. |
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Definition
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Term
| Why is it important to remove a bullet by hand an not with a metal or other hard object? |
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Definition
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Term
| T/F Shotgun wounds can result in a single large hole. |
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Definition
| true, they can result in a single large hole, multiple smaller holes or a combination depending on the range of fire |
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Term
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Definition
| death of the individual due to some interference with delivery of oxygen to the organs and tissues. Can be anything from occlusion of airways to chemical interference with cellular respiration |
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Term
| What's the difference between smothering and strangulation? |
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Definition
| smothering is obstruction of the mouth and nasal passages while strangulation is occlusion of the upper airways and/or blood vessels of the neck by externally applied pressure exluding hanging |
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Term
| Ligature strangulation is also known as... |
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Definition
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Term
| Strangulation with the hands is called _______. |
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Definition
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Term
| Death in strangulation usually results from... |
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Definition
| obstruction of blood flow through the jugular veins or carotid arteries. Also, compression of carotid body/sinus may trigger sudden death from cardiac rhythm interference |
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Term
| Drowning associated with dry lungs is due to ... |
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Definition
| laryngeal spasm that prevents entry of water into the lungs |
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Term
| What is the color of blood in CO poisoning? |
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Definition
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Term
| Symmetrical necrosis of what CNS structure is seen in carbon monoxide poisining? |
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Definition
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Term
| The most common injuries causing fatal child abuse are most often found where? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the blood alcohol level needed to get a DWI? |
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Definition
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Term
| What's the difference between "run under" and "run over"? |
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Definition
| run under is when the victim is thrown over the vehicle. Run over is when the victum is crushed under the vehicle |
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