Forensic Pathology

0.0(0)
studied byStudied by 0 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/4

encourage image

There's no tags or description

Looks like no tags are added yet.

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

5 Terms

1
New cards

What is the first part of the postmortem exam?

External Exam

  • cuts, bruises, scars

  • discoloured skin

  • position of body

  • gunshot or stab-wounds = type of weapon used

  • skin under fingernails = struggle/fighting

  • bruising in the mouth

  • tattoos can conceal injection sites = look closely

  • teeth recorded = dental records useful for identification

2
New cards

What is the process of the postmortem exam?

  1. Look at circumstances

  2. Complete exam (internal & external)

  3. Take samples - histopathology

  4. Extraction chemical analysis

  5. Identify & Quantify

  6. Was there a toxic chemical present? Was is a fatal dose?

3
New cards

What is histopathology?

the study of tissues/organs affected by disease

4
New cards

What is the second part of the postmortem exam?

Internal Exam

  • torso opened, followed by the head

  • organs removed and weighed one at a time - histopathology

    • weight is important = if heart is heavier than usual, suggests congestive heart disease as a cause of death

    • look at the liver for paracetamol poisoning cases = yellow, green colour and slightly smaller

    • foreign objects identified = trajectories, all recorded

    • entry/exit wounds are analysed to determine the murder weapon - if necessary

5
New cards

What is forensic pathology?

  • a postmortem exam to identify circumstances and cause of death (mainly used in specific cases or where death isn’t obvious)

  • use of histopathology = cutting up organs to see if they colours inside are healthy, the study of tissues or organs that may have been affected by disease