FIS 201 Exam 2 WVU
Pathologist - CORRECT ANSWER-Determines cause of disease or trauma
based on appearance and chemistry of bodies or tissues.
Medical Examiner - CORRECT ANSWER-Appointed by jurisdiction and is usually
a physician who is a board-certified forensic pathologist and is responsible for
certifying the manner and cause of a death.
Coroner - CORRECT ANSWER-An elected official and may or may not possess
a medical degree with optional education and training.
Death Investigator - CORRECT ANSWER-They investigate death under the
jurisdiction of the coroner/medical examiner and need CSI training and basic
medical knowledge. They collect the scene context needed to determine cause
of death.
Manner of Death - CORRECT ANSWER-How the person died
Cause of Death - CORRECT ANSWER-Why the person died
Natural - CORRECT ANSWER-Disease and continual environmental abuse.
Accidental - CORRECT ANSWER-There must not be intent to cause harm
through gross negligence on the part of a perpetrator or the victim.
Homicidal - CORRECT ANSWER-A nonaccidental death resulting from grossly
negligent, reckless, or intentional actions of another person.
Suicidal - CORRECT ANSWER-A result of an individual taking his or her own life
with lethal intention.
Undetermined/unclassified - CORRECT ANSWER-Insufficient or conflicting data
For West Virginia, under what circumstances will a medical examiner have to do
an autopsy? - CORRECT ANSWER-Violent, suicidal, unattended by physicians,
inmate, or suspicious/unusual/unnatural deaths occur
,External Examination of an autopsy - CORRECT ANSWER-Identify physical
features like gender, ethnicity, hair, and eye color and any identifying features like
scars, tattoos, prosthesis
Internal examination of an autopsy - CORRECT ANSWER-Open the body
following a y-shaped cut, remove organs and visually inspect, weight the organs,
and section accordingly
closure of an autopsy - CORRECT ANSWER-organs may be replaced, skin will
be folded back, skin stitched, and body put in a body bag
Postmortem interval (PMI) - CORRECT ANSWER-The length of time that has
elapsed since a person has died
Algor Mortis - CORRECT ANSWER-A process that occurs after death in which
the body temperature continually calls until it reaches the room temperature
how fast of a rate does the body lose heat - CORRECT ANSWER-1.0F to 1.5F
per hour
livor mortis - CORRECT ANSWER-a purple or red discoloration of the skin
caused by pooling of blood after death. occurs immediately after death but only
seen to the human eye after 20 minutes-2 hours later.
when does livor mortis become fixed - CORRECT ANSWER-8-12 hours
Rigor mortis - CORRECT ANSWER-The stiffening of the body after death; fusion
of actin and myosin filaments
Rigor mortis onset - CORRECT ANSWER-10-12 hours; dependent on
temperature and perimortem activity level
Other PMI estimates - CORRECT ANSWER-body cooling rate, chemistry of the
vitreous humor, colonization by insects, decomposition such as mummification
and adipocere formation, demineralization of bone
, Five major classes of trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-mechanical, thermal,
electrical, chemical, asphyxiation
Mechanical Trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-physical actions; force applied to the
body
Thermal Trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-temperature effects
Electrical trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-electrical current causes fibrillation in
the heart by overriding the sinoatrial node
Chemical trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-Chemical alteration of body processes
Asphyxiation - CORRECT ANSWER-oxygen deprivation
Abrasions - CORRECT ANSWER-skin is scraped off via friction; if damage is
above the dermal blood vessels, may not bleed
Human skin anatomy - CORRECT ANSWER-epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous
tissue
1st° abrasion - CORRECT ANSWER-Epidermis only
2nd° abrasion - CORRECT ANSWER-Epidermis and dermis
3rd° abrasion - CORRECT ANSWER-damage to subcutaneous layer
Types of blunt force trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-contusions, abrasions,
lacerations, fractures
Types of penetrating trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-Incisions, punctures,
penetrations
Contusions - CORRECT ANSWER-A bruise, proper medical term is a contusion;
ruptured capillaries and small blood vessels, required force is highly variable,
patterns maybe left
Pathologist - CORRECT ANSWER-Determines cause of disease or trauma
based on appearance and chemistry of bodies or tissues.
Medical Examiner - CORRECT ANSWER-Appointed by jurisdiction and is usually
a physician who is a board-certified forensic pathologist and is responsible for
certifying the manner and cause of a death.
Coroner - CORRECT ANSWER-An elected official and may or may not possess
a medical degree with optional education and training.
Death Investigator - CORRECT ANSWER-They investigate death under the
jurisdiction of the coroner/medical examiner and need CSI training and basic
medical knowledge. They collect the scene context needed to determine cause
of death.
Manner of Death - CORRECT ANSWER-How the person died
Cause of Death - CORRECT ANSWER-Why the person died
Natural - CORRECT ANSWER-Disease and continual environmental abuse.
Accidental - CORRECT ANSWER-There must not be intent to cause harm
through gross negligence on the part of a perpetrator or the victim.
Homicidal - CORRECT ANSWER-A nonaccidental death resulting from grossly
negligent, reckless, or intentional actions of another person.
Suicidal - CORRECT ANSWER-A result of an individual taking his or her own life
with lethal intention.
Undetermined/unclassified - CORRECT ANSWER-Insufficient or conflicting data
For West Virginia, under what circumstances will a medical examiner have to do
an autopsy? - CORRECT ANSWER-Violent, suicidal, unattended by physicians,
inmate, or suspicious/unusual/unnatural deaths occur
,External Examination of an autopsy - CORRECT ANSWER-Identify physical
features like gender, ethnicity, hair, and eye color and any identifying features like
scars, tattoos, prosthesis
Internal examination of an autopsy - CORRECT ANSWER-Open the body
following a y-shaped cut, remove organs and visually inspect, weight the organs,
and section accordingly
closure of an autopsy - CORRECT ANSWER-organs may be replaced, skin will
be folded back, skin stitched, and body put in a body bag
Postmortem interval (PMI) - CORRECT ANSWER-The length of time that has
elapsed since a person has died
Algor Mortis - CORRECT ANSWER-A process that occurs after death in which
the body temperature continually calls until it reaches the room temperature
how fast of a rate does the body lose heat - CORRECT ANSWER-1.0F to 1.5F
per hour
livor mortis - CORRECT ANSWER-a purple or red discoloration of the skin
caused by pooling of blood after death. occurs immediately after death but only
seen to the human eye after 20 minutes-2 hours later.
when does livor mortis become fixed - CORRECT ANSWER-8-12 hours
Rigor mortis - CORRECT ANSWER-The stiffening of the body after death; fusion
of actin and myosin filaments
Rigor mortis onset - CORRECT ANSWER-10-12 hours; dependent on
temperature and perimortem activity level
Other PMI estimates - CORRECT ANSWER-body cooling rate, chemistry of the
vitreous humor, colonization by insects, decomposition such as mummification
and adipocere formation, demineralization of bone
, Five major classes of trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-mechanical, thermal,
electrical, chemical, asphyxiation
Mechanical Trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-physical actions; force applied to the
body
Thermal Trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-temperature effects
Electrical trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-electrical current causes fibrillation in
the heart by overriding the sinoatrial node
Chemical trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-Chemical alteration of body processes
Asphyxiation - CORRECT ANSWER-oxygen deprivation
Abrasions - CORRECT ANSWER-skin is scraped off via friction; if damage is
above the dermal blood vessels, may not bleed
Human skin anatomy - CORRECT ANSWER-epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous
tissue
1st° abrasion - CORRECT ANSWER-Epidermis only
2nd° abrasion - CORRECT ANSWER-Epidermis and dermis
3rd° abrasion - CORRECT ANSWER-damage to subcutaneous layer
Types of blunt force trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-contusions, abrasions,
lacerations, fractures
Types of penetrating trauma - CORRECT ANSWER-Incisions, punctures,
penetrations
Contusions - CORRECT ANSWER-A bruise, proper medical term is a contusion;
ruptured capillaries and small blood vessels, required force is highly variable,
patterns maybe left
