forensic pathology

Autopsy

Postmortem exam to determine cause and manner of death (hospital vs forensic autopsy)

CSI Effect

tv effects a jury’s ability to understand forensic science/unrealistic expecations

Cause of death

Why someone died, specific disease/injury/event

Manner of death

Natural

Manner of death

Accident

Manner of death

Suicide

Manner of death

Homicide

Manner of death

Undetermined

Manner of death

Pending investigation

Cause of death

Heart disease

Mechanism of death

Physiologic derangement that actually kills (hemorrhage)

PMI

Time since death

Lividity (livor mortis)

purple/red discoloration; starts 30 min-2hrs, fixed at 8-12 hrs, shows if body was moved

Rigor Mortis

Muscle stiffening; starts 3-6 hrs, full by 12 hrs, lasts 18-36 hrs

Factors affecting Rigor

Exercise, temperature, clothing, disease

Algor Mortis

Body cooling

Decomposition

Fresh - bloat - active decay - advanced decay - skeletonization

Autolysis

Cell self-digestion by enzymes

Putrefaction

Breakdown by bacteria (gas, odor, green discoloration)

Mummification

Dry, preserved tissue in hot/dry environment

Adipocere

Waxy fat breakdown in wet/warm environment

Scene investigation

Documenting, photographing, transporting body; most important step

Chain of custody

Maintaining sealed, documented control over evidence/body

Death Reports

Hospitals, police, nursing homes, etc. must notify ME/coroner

Known body

ID by family or documents

Unknown body

Needs DNA, dental records, anthropologist

Coroner system

Elected official, not always medically trained

Medical examiner system

Physician, board-certified in pathology

Body farm

Farm where they observe stages of decomposition

Forensic anthropology

Study of bones for sex, age, trauma

Forensic odontology

Use of teeth/dentition for identification

Trace evidence collection

Hair, fibers, paint, foreign material

Rape kit collection

Fingernail scrapings, vaginal/oral/rectal swabs, pubic and head hair, underwear

Bite mark swab

Collect saliva for DNA

Body bag

Sealed to preserve evidence

Y-incision

Standard cut for opening chest/abdomen

Three cavities examined

Chest (heart, lungs, thoracic aorta, ribs), abdomen (liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, pancreas, adrenals), cranial (brain)

Heart, lungs, thoracic aorta, ribs

Chest

Liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, pancreas, adrenals

Abdomen

Brain

Cranial

Virchow's method

Organ by organ

Rokitansky’s method

En bloc removal

Microscopic Analysis

Small tissue sections saved in formalin