Medico-Legal Death Investigation Exam Questions With 100% Correct Answers

Medico-Legal Death Investigation Exam Questions With 100% Correct Answers DEATH - answer-Termination of biological functions that sustain a living organism -The point where resuscitation becomes impossible Death Investigation - answerDeath investigations carry broad societal importance for criminal justice and public health Death investigations: - answer•To convict the guilty and protect the innocent•Aid civil litigation •Critical for many aspects of public health practice and research •Emerging as critically important in evaluating the quality of health care and the nation's response to bioterrorism Who decides the fate of the deceased? - answer•Death investigations are carried out by coroners or medical examiners -Role is to decide the scope and course of a death investigation What's the difference between a coroner and a medical examiner? - answerCoroner Elected whereas Medical Examiner Appointed Coroner - answerElected, May not be a physician, May not perform/attend autopsies Must obtain the services of a forensic pathologist for autopsies/medical expertise to support the coroner's investigations Medical Examiner - answerAppointed, Licensed, board-cert Forensic Pathologist, Performs/attends autopsies Has jurisdiction over a county, district, or state. Brings medical expertise to the evaluation of the medical history and physical examination of the deceased Historical Purposes of Coroners - answer-9th and 10th century England but formalized into law in the 12th century -Ensure tax payment upon death -Coroner laws were imported into the Colonies Historical Purposes of Medical Examiners - answer-1860 passage of Maryland legislation requiring the presence of a physician of the death inquest -Nationwide trend since 1877 to replace coroners with the medical examiners Death Investigation by State - answer-50% /50% of population served by Coroner and MEO -Death investigations are handled at the county level Manner of Death (MOD) - answer•Natural •Accidental •Suicidal •Homicidal •Undetermined Cause of Death (COD) - answerExamples: -Heart attack -gunshot wound -diseases -fractures -stroke -hanging -suffocation massive trauma COD - Proximate cause of death - answerExample: A man burned extensively as a result of a house fire dies two weeks later due to sepsis. The proximate cause of death is his burns. Immediate cause of death is the sepsis. •Example: a 48 year old woman has a breast lump removed; following a number of years, the cancer re-appears in her bones; chemotherapy follows. She later dies with pneumonia. Breast