Forensic Medicine flashcards for NEET PG

Rigor mortis appears in the eyelids and jaw first and spreads downward.

Memory hook: Head to toe.

Instant muscle stiffening at death that fixes the last act, for instance grasping weeds in drowning.

Memory hook: Medico-legally valuable.

Carbon monoxide (carboxyhaemoglobin). Cyanide gives a pinkish hue.

Memory hook: Bright red, not dusky.

Arsenic (also thallium).

Memory hook: Lead gives Burton's line on the gums.

Hanging: oblique, incomplete, high, rising to the knot. Strangulation: horizontal, complete, lower.

Memory hook: Gravity pulls it up.

Self-inflicted incised wounds, usually superficial and multiple beside a deeper fatal one.

Memory hook: Suicide often shows hesitation.

Petechial haemorrhages under the pleura, pericardium and conjunctiva seen in asphyxial deaths.

Memory hook: A supportive sign, not specific.

A difference in chloride content between the right and left sides of the heart blood in drowning.

Memory hook: Fresh water lowers chloride on the left.

Fomepizole or ethanol, which block alcohol dehydrogenase; dialysis in severe cases.

Memory hook: Blindness from formic acid.

Hydroxocobalamin, or sodium nitrite followed by sodium thiosulphate.

Memory hook: Bitter almond smell.

Brownish-black horizontal streaks on the exposed sclera in an eye left open after death, caused by drying.

Memory hook: Drying of the eye, not injury.

Putrefaction, which is irreversible and cannot occur in a living person.

Memory hook: Rotting cannot be reversed.

Greenish discolouration over the right iliac fossa, from bacterial sulphmethaemoglobin formation near the caecum.

Memory hook: Right iliac fossa goes green first.

Waxy, greyish-white transformation of body fat by hydrolysis and hydrogenation, favoured by warm moist surroundings.

Memory hook: Grave wax.

Dry preservation of the body by rapid dehydration in a hot, dry, well-ventilated environment.

Memory hook: Dry heat, leathery skin.

Heat stiffening is coagulation of muscle proteins on exposure to high temperature, as in burns.

Memory hook: Cooked muscle, flexed limbs.

The uterus and prostate resist putrefaction longest, while the larynx and trachea putrefy early.

Memory hook: Uterus and prostate are the last to go.

Blowflies (Calliphoridae), whose larval stage helps estimate time since death.

Memory hook: Forensic entomology.

Fingerprint ridge patterns are unique and unchanging, classified as arch, loop, whorl and composite.

Memory hook: ALWC.

The loop pattern.

Memory hook: Loops lead.

The pelvis, followed by the skull.

Memory hook: Pelvis first.

The medial end of the clavicle, in the mid twenties.

Memory hook: Clavicle medial end closes last.

Presence of Barr bodies in a nucleus of a cell indicates a female (two X chromosomes).

Memory hook: Inactive X.

DNA profiling, which uses variable number tandem repeats or short tandem repeats to match samples.

Memory hook: STR-based today.

It is maternally inherited and survives in degraded samples such as old bone and hair shafts.

Memory hook: Maternal line.

The eruption and calcification schedule of temporary and permanent teeth.

Memory hook: Teeth tell childhood age.

Study of lip print patterns for identification.

Memory hook: Lips.

Study of sweat pores on fingerprint ridges for identification.

Memory hook: Pores.

Superficial injury with loss of epidermis by friction, scraping or pressure.

Memory hook: Grazing.

Extravasation of blood into tissues from ruptured vessels with the skin intact.

Memory hook: A bruise.

Laceration is a tear from blunt force with irregular margins and tissue bridges; an incised wound has clean edges and no bridges.

Memory hook: Bridges mean blunt.

Deep, heavy-weapon wounds with features of both incised wounds and bone fractures.

Memory hook: Axe or sword.

A circular defect with inverted edges, an abrasion collar, and blackening or tattooing if range is close.

Memory hook: Inverted entry.

Unburnt powder grains embedded in skin from a shot at a moderate distance, but not contact range.

Memory hook: Powder dots.

Muzzle imprint, searing and soot in the track, with often a larger stellate entry over bone.

Memory hook: Gas blows under skin.

A bruise reproducing the shape of the object causing it, such as a tramline from a stick.

Memory hook: Tramline bruise.

A depressed fracture, which reproduces the shape of the striking object.

Memory hook: Pond fracture is seen in infants.

Injuries on the hands, forearms and ulnar sides sustained when a victim fends off an attack.

Memory hook: Seen in homicide, not suicide.

Partial (atypical) hanging, with the body not fully suspended.

Memory hook: Most are partial.

A single, oblique, dry, parchment-like groove above the thyroid cartilage with a gap at the knot.

Memory hook: Rises to the knot.

A long drop causing fracture-dislocation of C2 to C3 (hangman's fracture), dividing the cord.

Memory hook: Hangman's fracture.

Homicide.

Memory hook: Rarely suicide.

Homicide, by manual compression of the neck.

Memory hook: Finger-tip bruises.

The hyoid bone, as it ossifies with age.

Memory hook: Greater horns.

Compression of the chest and abdomen producing a congested, cyanosed head and neck with subconjunctival haemorrhages.

Memory hook: Crush injury.

Smothering combined with compression of the chest, as practised by Burke and Hare.

Memory hook: Smother plus sit on chest.

Fine, white, persistent froth at the mouth and nostrils.

Memory hook: Mushroom froth.

Goose-flesh from contraction of arrector pili, a nonspecific sign of immersion.

Memory hook: Washerwoman's hands as well.

Atropine, with pralidoxime to reactivate cholinesterase.

Memory hook: Atropine dries secretions.

N-acetylcysteine, which replenishes glutathione.

Memory hook: NAC.

Naloxone.

Memory hook: Reverses respiratory depression.

Flumazenil.

Memory hook: Used with caution in seizures.

Chelators such as dimercaprol, calcium disodium EDTA or succimer.

Memory hook: Chelation.

Desferrioxamine (deferoxamine) as the chelator.

Memory hook: Iron needs desferal.

Digoxin-specific antibody fragments.

Memory hook: Digifab.

Arsenic (and phosphorus).

Memory hook: Garlic.

Pinpoint pupils.

Memory hook: Pinpoint pupils with slow breathing.

Cobra and krait.

Memory hook: Neuro: cobra, krait.

Sexual gratification from inflicting pain or humiliation on another.

Memory hook: Pain giver.

Sexual gratification from suffering pain or humiliation oneself.

Memory hook: Pain receiver.

Gratification from secretly watching others in intimate acts.

Memory hook: Peeping.

Exposure of genitals to unsuspecting persons for sexual gratification.

Memory hook: Flasher.

Sexual arousal from inanimate objects or non-genital body parts.

Memory hook: Objects.

Sexual gratification through contact with a dead body.

Memory hook: Dead.

A period of apparent sanity in a mentally ill person, during which acts may be legally valid.

Memory hook: Matters for wills.

A person is not criminally responsible if mental disease prevented knowing the nature of the act or that it was wrong.

Memory hook: Right and wrong test.

To document injuries, collect evidence and give care, always with informed consent.

Memory hook: Consent first.

It does not rule out assault, as injuries are often absent.

Memory hook: No injury is common.

Voluntary agreement from a competent person after the risks, benefits and alternatives are explained.

Memory hook: Understand, then agree.

Breach of duty of care causing damage, judged against a reasonable practitioner of similar skill.

Memory hook: Duty, breach, damage.

The thing speaks for itself: negligence is inferred from an event that does not normally occur without it.

Memory hook: Instrument left inside.

An employer is responsible for the negligent acts of employees done in the course of work.

Memory hook: Hospital answers for staff.

A statement by a dying person on the cause or circumstances of death, admissible as evidence.

Memory hook: Ideally before a magistrate.

A doctor's duty not to disclose patient information, with exceptions such as legal requirement or serious public risk.

Memory hook: Exceptions exist.

Inquiry into the cause of unnatural, sudden or suspicious death by police, magistrate or coroner.

Memory hook: Cause of death.

A summons orders appearance in court as a witness; a warrant is an order enforcing attendance.

Memory hook: Summons is first.

An updated physician's oath of ethical commitments, adopted by the World Medical Association.

Memory hook: Modern Hippocratic oath.