Pathology, Odontology, Entomology, Anthropology

Forensic Pathology

Study of death and diseases to determine the cause and manner of death by physical examinations of the body

Duties of Forensic Pathologists

• Preform Autopsy

• determine cause and manner of death

• identify the deceased

• collect evidence from the body

• document injuries or lack of

• document any other contributory or causative factors to the death

Categories of death that a Medical Examiners office

• Violent deaths

• Suspicious Deaths

• Sudden or Unexpected deaths

• Deaths without a Physician present

• Deaths in an institution

Preventative measures of premature death

• Safety coffin - coffin that had a bell inside

• Dr Bouchut- invented the stethoscope

Signs of death

• heart stops

• breathing stops

• pupils don’t respond to light

• PALLOR MORTIS-paleness

• LIVOR MORTIS-blood pooling

• ALGOR MORTIS-cooling if the body

• RIGOR MORTIS- limb stiffness

Cause, Mechanism, and Manner

Cause of Death- any injury that results in death

Mechanism- the biochemical or physiological means that a person died

Manner of Death - how the cause happened

Manners of Death

S uicide

H omocide

A accident

U ndetermined

N atural

Factors Used to determine TOD

1. Rigor mortis

2. Livor Mortis

3. Algor mortis

4. Ocular Changes

5. Stomach Contents

6. Degree of decomposition

7. Insect/ plant life

8. Scene markers

Rigor Mortis

stiffening of the joints and muscles of a body a few hours after death, usually lasting from one to four days PEAK AT 6-24.

temperature- warmth speeds up RM

Physical activity- makes it happen immediately

Fat- slows down development

Age- low muscle mass in kids and elders cause RM to happen quickly

Livor Mortis

Settling of Blood at the lowest parts of the body after heart stops beating.

CO leaves CHERRY RED COLOR

becomes permanent at 8 hours

pressure can disrupt LM

Algor Mortis

Cooling of the body after death.

Illness, activity, decomposition, SCENE, CLOTHING, raise body temp after death

Glaister equation =

98.4° - internal temp/ 1.4 = approx TOD

Stages of Decomposition

2 major components- autolysis (digestive enzymes in cells break down carbohydrates) and putrefaction (bacteria and fermentation)

• fresh decomposition / autolysis 0-4 days

• bloat / putrefaction 4-10 days

• active decay / black putrefaction 10-20 days

• advanced decay / butyric fermentation - 20-50 days

• dry decay - 50+ days

• mummification, skeletonization, adipocere