Revision Questions

Revision Questions

Study Unit 1:

 

1.         Classify unnatural deaths.

2.         Why is the sudden and unexpected death of a person always treated as an unnatural death? Can these deaths also include natural causes?

3.         A person under the influence of alcohol is involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustains multiple injuries. During his stay in the intensive care unit, ventilation is necessary due to his injuries. He develops a lung infection (pneumonia) and dies due to lung (respiratory) failure. What is the primary cause of death? What will you regard as the terminal cause of death? And the mechanisms of death? Are there any predisposing causes?

4.         In those cases where there are minimal or no signs of trauma to the body of the deceased, such as drowning, certain evidence may be of value to determine the cause of death. Discuss this statement.

5.         Which findings must be made by the judicial officer during an inquest?

Study Unit 3:

1.         The body of a murdered person is found in the open veld. It is still warm on contact, but rigor mortis has already developed. How long do you estimate the post-mortem interval to be? What factors may affect the rate of cooling of the body?

2.         The body of a person who allegedly drowned is retrieved from water. A branch of a tree is tightly gripped in the hand. How will you interpret this?

3.         A female dies a day after having been severely assaulted by her spouse. During the post-mortem examination blue or reddish blue marks are present over the back. The pathologist is convinced that this is only due to hypostasis. How should this case be managed?

 

Study Unit 4:

1.         How should a commercial passenger aircraft accident be managed, with specific reference to the identification of the passengers and crew?

2.         Discuss the two basic principles used in identification of bodies.

Study Unit 5:

1.         A person presents with a linear wound to his head. He alleges that he was hit with a panga, although there is also evidence that he was only hit on the head with a hard piece of wood (plank). How will you differentiate between these two wounds?

2.         You are involved in a trial where the victim was an elderly female who was murdered. The post-mortem report states that numerous bruises/contusions were present over the chest, and there were also fractures of the ribs and sternum. These fractures were surrounded by fresh haemorrhages. The defence alleges that these injuries were caused by attempts at resuscitation by the assailant, and not by the assault itself. How can the pathologist refute this allegation?

3.         You are involved in a trial where the victim had allegedly died of a stab-wound. What are the most important features regarding this wound which you would look for in the post-mortem report.

 

Study unit 6:

1.         During a fight one person stabs the other in the neck. While they are still standing upright and arguing, the stabbed individual collapses and dies almost immediately. How should the pathologist approach this death?

2.         A scuba diver surfaces, coughs blood and dies. What condition will the pathologist have to consider? What other complications may also be caused by this mechanism?

 

Study Unit 7:

 

1.         A 60 year old alcoholic falls and hits his head while under the influence of alcohol. He is admitted to the local casualty department. Discuss possible head injuries which may be caused by such a fall, as well as the problems which may confront the doctor in diagnosing this condition.

2.         A patient with a skull fracture over the temporal bone is initially apparently normal, but over a period of 12 hours becomes gradually more confused and drowsy. He dies before treatment can be administered. Discuss the probable cause of death.

 

Study unit 8:

 

1.         During a court case the one party alleges that the dark blue discoloration of the hands and feet of the deceased's body (cyanosis) is a definite sign that the person was throttled. How would you deal with this statement?

2.         During cleaning of a wine tank, one of the workers dies while climbing into the tank. What is the probable cause of death?

3.         A person is throttled with the hands during an assault. What could be the causes of death?

4.         The body of a young man is found in weird circumstances. There is a rope with a sliding knot around his neck. The body is naked and pornographic material is present on the scene. With what phenomenon are we faced here?

5.         Which risk factors may increase the risk of death during the application of a neck grip?

6.         A person may die during immersion with or without aspiration of water. What are the causes of death in these two groups of death?

 

Study Unit 9:

 

1.         Correlate the products produced during the firing of a cartridge with their possible effect and appearance on the skin of the victim.

2.         The examination of a firearm entrance wound shows an oval-shaped central defect surrounded by an irregular abrasion ring, which is wider on the right-hand aspect of the wound. There are no signs of soot deposits or singeing/burning of the skin, but tattooing is present. This is also irregularly distributed, with a more concentrated distribution over the right-hand aspect compared with the left side. What conclusions can be drawn from this?

3.         Discuss the unique appearance of a contact firearm entrance wound to the head.

4.         Examination of the victim of a shotgun shooting accident shows a central defect with a crenated margin surrounded by smaller individual entrance wounds. The distance between the peripheral wounds is 30 cm. From how far do you think the firearm was fired?

 

Study Unit 10:

 

1.         Discuss hypothermia and hyperthermia due to exposure to abnormally low and high environmental temperatures.

2.         Discuss the post-mortem findings in a burn victim, including problems which may arise during identification. Discuss how you will determine whether the victim was alive when the fire started.

3.         Discuss factors which may have an effect when an individual is accidentally exposed to a domestic electrical current.

4.         A scuba diver surfaces. He coughs blood and dies instantly. What is the most probable cause?

 

Study Unit 11:

 

1.         Which factors will influence the intensity of a reaction which a person may experience after exposure to a specific drug or substance?

2.         Discuss the effects of carbon monoxide on the physiological functions of the human body.

3.         Discuss the factors which may influence the absorption of alcohol from the gastro-intestinal tract.

4.         The legally acceptable blood-alcohol level is 0,05 g%. Does any risk of danger and even death exist at a blood-alcohol concentration lower than this legal limit?

5.         An 80 kg female is arrested for alleged driving under the influence of alcohol. Her blood-alcohol concentration is 0,14 g%. She alleges that she consumed three glasses of white wine, the last one two hours before arrest. How will you confirm or refute her statement regarding alcohol consumption?

6.         How will the alcohol level of a deceased driver in a fatal motor accident be determined?

 

Study Unit 12:

 

1.         A young female undergoes a criminal abortion and dies during the procedure. Discuss the possible causes of her death. Discuss also how a post-mortem examination may be of assistance in determining the cause of death.

2.         A pregnant female in her last trimester of pregnancy dies suddenly and unexpectedly. Which possibilities must be considered?

 

Study Unit 13:

 

1.         Which questions must be answered in cases where a new born baby is found dead and it is obvious that the birth was concealed?

2.         A boy, three years of age, presents in the trauma unit with a fracture of the skull and vague history of a fall off a chair.

a. Which condition must be considered by the medical practitioner?

b. Which other injuries must be excluded?

c. What is the medical practitioner's legal obligation?

3.         A baby of four months of age dies unexpectedly in the cot. How should such death be managed?

4.         In cases of cot death the cause of death is obvious. Discuss this statement.

 

Study Unit 14:

 

1.         Discuss the injuries which may be present in cases of rape.

2.         The absence of spermatozoa in the female genital tract or vagina excludes rape. Discuss this statement.   

 

THE END