Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Coroner questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| An iatrogenic condition is | a condition caused by the doctor |
| The term "agonal" means | occurring during the last moments of life. |
| The major function of the testimony of a forensic dentist in a homicide without a bite mark is "probably" to: | identify the body of the suspected victim. |
| To maintain the chain of evidence (custody) of dental radiographs, you must | accurately label all x-rays and require a signature for any transfers. |
| Which of the following occurs least often? | Supernumerary lower incisor |
| Resection of the jaws should not be considered when | the body is viewable. |
| Postmortem tooth loss | usually results in an open socket. |
| If protocol or procedural questions arise during a mass fatality incident, who should be consulted, and by whom? | The medical examiner/coroner, by the designated dental team leader |
| Bite mark evidence can be of more value than fingerprints, in that bite marks | indicate a temporal connection to the crime |
| Of the following, which would come first in the collection of bite mark evidence on a decedent? | Take orientation photographs |
| In your report to the prosecuting attorney on a bite mark patterned injury case, you state that it is 75% probable that the suspect biter made the bite on the victim. What is wrong with this statement? | The use of 75% is inappropriate. |
| The most accurate indicator(s) of age in the adult skeleton (over the age of 25) is (are) the | pubic symphysis. |
| Most deaths in the dental chair are associated with | general anesthesia |
| What may a "fact witness" do? | Explain answers |
| In taking periapical radiographs of skeletonized remains, the exposure time should | be decreased by approximately 50% |
| Which of the following is (are) needed to make black-and-white infrared images of bite marks | A special filter |
| Medical examiner/coroner authority at a death scene comes from | the medical examiner/coroner office policy derived from state statutory authority. |
| A good point to remember regarding report writing is that | information is of little use unless it is properly documented and communicated to others |
| If you are called to a hospital's emergency department to begin the medicolegal death investigation of a death caused by a firearm, the medicolegal "scene" is | the emergency department. |
| State systems, or states with a "State Medical Examiner" typically investigate | all deaths within their state that fall under statute |
| A recent infant death you investigated has been termed a SIDS death on the preliminary autopsy report. You, as the investigator, must contact | the local SIDS Center and the local police agency. |
| The public information officer (PIO) for your jurisdiction requests information regarding an investigation for exclusive release. The investigator should | advise the PIO of office policy and decline to provide information that would not otherwise be provided to other news agencies |
| A businesswoman from out of town is found dead in her motel room, the victim of apparent homicidal violence. Personal items in the room reveal she is married and lives in an adjoining state. In order to notify her next-of-kin, the investigator should | contact the law enforcement in the husband's area. Ask them to send an officer to the husband's residence and inform him of the death. Request that the officer remain at the residence and direct the husband to call the investigator's office at that time |
| The medicolegal death investigator and a police officer arrive at a death scene within minutes of each other. | The best approach is a "team" approach to performing the work. |
| If the deceased is decomposed, mutilated, or burned beyond recognition and the family insists, for religious or cultural reasons, on viewing the body, the investigator should | prepare the family before viewing with a verbal explanation and possibly photographs of the remains. |
| The practice of not allowing transport of a body from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday is associated with which ONE of the following religious beliefs? | Judaism |
| The pathologist has identified the cause of death of a 62-year-old male as acute myocardial infarction. The victim's spouse calls you two days after your scene investigation to request the results of the autopsy. You should | interpret the pathologist's findings (heart attack) to her. |
| When investigating a homicide you discover the victim and surviving family are of the orthodox Jewish. Because of their beliefs, the family objects to an autopsy being performed. Which of the following would be the best recommended procedure to follow? | Counsel the family. Explain the circumstances surrounding the investigation and why the autopsy must be performed (criminal prosecution, etc.) |
| The intensive care nurse calls to report the death of a male who died after being found unconscious at his home; multiple empty prescription medication containers were found nearby. The MOST important evidence to retain from the hospital would be the | admission blood specimens |
| The scene sketch is important because it | combines the best of photography and scene notes. |
| All death scenes should be treated as __________ until proven otherwise | homicides |
| You arrive at the scene of a death and are informed that the crime scene team has taken photos and videotaped the scene. You have also noticed that portions of wall and carpet have been removed by crime scene members. As an investigator you should | take your usual photos/videotape, and document in your narrative what was done before your arrival. |
| are called to the scene of an apparent suicide. The lives alone. The maid entered using her key. The victim suffered a single gunshot to the head, and a gun is lying next to him. There is also an apparent suicide note next to the bed. you should, | investigate the case as a homicide until you prove it is a suicide. |
| You arrive at a death scene where an ET tube and gloves are noticed next to the body. You should | take photos of the scene and document what medical personnel did in your narrative report. |
| The decedent was beaten days prior to death. The autopsy it is reveals the decedent died as a result of a pulmonary embolus that started in the femoral. No trauma to the lower body was found. The victim stayed in bed to soreness in his face. death was | homicide |
| Identification methods depend on the condition of the body. From the list below, what source of documentation does NOT provide scientific means of identification? | Personal papers or ID photographs on the person. |
| In your jurisdiction you suddenly become responsible for managing the collection of evidence at a homicide scene. One of the first things you should do is | determine a safe or clean area from which you can coordinate the scene. |
| A body with a bullet wound through the chest is found almost 50 feet from the weapon. Should the investigator rule out suicide as a manner of death? | No; a person who is mortally wounded can travel a considerable distance before collapsing. |
| You are called to the scene of a carbon-monoxide suicide. Several law enforcement members complain of feeling ill after being in the home. You should | wait until fire fighters/rescue personnel deem the residence safe by measuring carbon monoxide levels |
| When packaging items for the laboratory, you should | place items in separate packages. |
| Partial cremains were recovered from a local funeral home. Which of the following would be the best evidence to collect for DNA testing to establish identification? | partial femur bone |
| After you have completed an investigation at a private residence, the family calls your office to report the theft of personal property from their residence. How should you handle the situation? | Refer the caller to your immediate supervisor |
| A 32-year-old male dies of AIDS; it is permissible for the death investigator to | release property taken at the scene to the family. |
| How a witness behaves and appears on the witness stand is called __________ evidence | demeanor |
| In a court of law, handling evidence in a "legally acceptable manner" refers to | documenting the chain of custody. |
| An expert witness is permitted to testify about | any topic related to his/her area of expertise, related or unrelated to the case. |
| Loose bones (skeletal remains) found at the scene, should be packaged in | paper bags or boxes |
| A distant-range gunshot wound is identifiable by | an absence of gunshot residue surrounding the wound and/or clothing. |
| The leading cause of death from cancer in the United States is | lung cancer. |
| Death due to contact with an electrical device is primarily related to | the number of amps received by the victim. |
| What level of carbon monoxide saturation of hemoglobin is most commonly seen to cause the death of a child? | 30 to 40%. |
| The application of science to law describes | forensic science |
| A death investigator may experience symptoms of emotional trauma. What is the best means available to assist these individuals? | Appropriate local employee assistance programs (e.g., human resource departments, crisis response team) |
| When attempting to assist a co-worker deal with job-related stress, it is most appropriate to show | empathy |
| 2 days an investigator has been involved with 2 victims and a man who was hit by a car. When the investigator arrived at the hospital, he was subject to a traumatic reaction by the man's family.1st sign of the investigator's ability to cope with stress is | verbalizing feelings of tension, stress, frustration, or depression. |
| An overdose of which ONE of the following drugs frequently results in hyperthermia | Cocaine |
| Death due to seizures 48 hours after incarceration would most likely be due to | alcohol withdrawal |
| An interview with a decedent's family revealed that he had received methadone treatment in the past. This type of treatment may indicate a history of | opiate abuse |
| Restraining devices and safety equipment of a vehicle involved in a crash should be documented because | failure of occupants to use vehicle safety devices, or the malfunction of the devices may determine how injuries occurred |
| Examination of a skin wound reveals torn, irregular edges and stretched small vessels and nerves in the depths of the wound. This injury is best described as a (an) | laceration |
| Body is found in a house fire. There is damage to the living room, which contains burnt furniture, as well as a TV and PC. An autopsy reveals no trauma other than burn artifact. Toxicology test reveals carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide in blood. You | explain to the family and law enforcement officers that these are expected findings in light of the objects burned in the fire. |
| After a 1-week hospitalization, a patient died as a complication of burns to 90% of his body. The body arrives at the morgue, there are vertical, incised wounds over both upper and lower extremities in areas of 3rd-degree burn. These most likely represent | escharotomy incisions to preserve blood flow. |
| In a ligature hanging case, the best way to lower the suspended body is by | cutting the ligature near the point of suspension, if necessary, at a site away from any knots, leaving all knots and the rest of the ligature intact. |
| A man is found dead in a basement, partly suspended by a rope that extends around his neck and over a wood beam. Examination of the beam shows multiple grooves near the location of the rope, suggesting | possible previous autoerotic activities |
| Laboratory analysis of blood and body fluids can reveal important information in the investigation of deaths that are due to therapeutic complications. The best way to ensure that laboratory testing reveals the actual conditions at the time of death is to | immediately secure all antemortem blood and body fluid samples from the hospital. |
| A traffic-crash victim dies in the hospital 3 days after the crash. Driver at fault. You know that toxicology test on specimens collected at autopsy will not represent substances that may have been present at the time of the crash. What's done next? | Contact the hospital lab and make arrangements to obtain all remaining specimens that were collected in the Emergency Department after the crash. |
| A white powder suspected to be cocaine should be collected | in a clean, dry container. |
| Before entering a bomb scene to recover the remains of victims, a death investigator must | be informed by the Incident Commander that the scene is safe to enter |
| Deaths due to bombs and explosions are rare occurrences. The predominate federal agency involved in the investigation of the explosive device is the | ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). |
| Explosions have a number of effects on the human body. Which ONE of the following statements is TRUE? | Most body injuries are related to the victim's position and distance from the explosion. |
| Radiopaque fragments from a bombing victim | should be identified by full body X-ray and then removed, photographed, and placed in a labeled evidence container which is catalogued in a chain of custody document. |
| A gunshot victim is found lying on his back with his left arm bent at the elbow and pointing up in the air without support. Dried blood trails from the nose to the left ear. You determine | the body of the victim was in a different position, probably on his left side, for some time before being rolled onto his back. |
| A 20-year-old college student has a history of an acute febrile illness with headache leading to sudden death. A skin rash is noted. Although no cause of death can be ruled out, the most likely explanation for this death would be | meningococcal meningitis. |
| You are called to the autopsy room where the assistant medical examiner has just identified a gunshot wound on a charred body recovered from a residential house fire. You should | immediately notify law enforcement |
| Mutual trust deteriorates when administrators engage in nonsensical conversations with the media. In a police officer involved shooting incident, the spokesperson should | make an honest statement that the matter is under investigation with the promise that a detailed report will follow as soon as possible |
| Hospital records should include at a minimum: | demographics - nursing records - next-of-kin information - history and physical examination. |
| You are investigating a suspicious death in a nursing home, and you need to find out whether the home is licensed. You should | contact the appropriate state agency. |
| A nursing home's use of physical restraints on patients must be | ordered by a treating physician |
| A nursing home resident was found unresponsive in a wheelchair wearing a vest restraint. After resuscitation attempt, examination of the body revealed conjunctival petechiae and a linear pressure mark on the neck. The initial task that should be done is | have the nurse who found the decedent demonstrate the exact position in which the decedent and vest were found |
| A new investigator comes to you with questions regarding a case he is investigating. In what manner should you assist this person with his questions | Answer the investigator's questions and provide references and resources. |
| A supervisor must allow his employees to undertake difficult investigations in order to grow in experience and confidence. The supervisor does this by | being available to offer advice to employees, as needed. |
| One way for a supervisor to get personnel to meet agency goals is to | encourage personnel to participate in planning how to reach those goals and see that they receive credit for their ideas. |
| You arrive for your scheduled work shift and find that your co-worker from the previous shift has cases pending and no investigative action has been taken on them. You | see which cases need investigative work and immediately begin to help by picking up the previously reported cases and starting the investigative process. |
| The accepted "standard of proof" the forensic pathologist reaches when testifying in criminal court is which ONE of the following? | Reasonable medical certainty |
| In the event of a homicide on Native American or federal (nonmilitary) lands, which agency has law enforcement jurisdiction? | The FBI |
| When closing an interview with a family member, how can you offer to be more helpful to the individual? | Tell the individual how much you appreciated their help and advise them to telephone your office if they need more assistance. |
| Death investigators sometimes are asked to participate in a media-initiated interview, especially during a sensitive on-going investigation. Investigators should always remember | that participating in this type of interview rarely serves to accomplish any investigative objectives, and should be declined. |
| Documenting items collected during an investigation helps in | protecting the chain of custody. |
| Your case file is subpoenaed by a local defense attorney. You have placed your investigative field notes in the subpoenaed file. You must | turn over a complete copy of the case file as is |
| High-velocity blood spatter is most frequently associated with injuries due to | a gunshot wound, power tool, or machinery. |
| Which of the following is NOT a bullet fired by a handgun? | Buckshot |
| When submitting tool mark evidence for examination, you should always | submit a cast of the tool mark |
| Which ONE of the following drugs is responsible for the most intentional overdose fatalities? | Tricyclic Antidepressants |
| Which of the following methods is the LEAST sensitive chromatographic technique? | Thin-layer chromatography |
| Adult flies caught at the scene need to be properly stored to send to the lab. This involves | placing the flies in a glass vial containing 70% isopropyl alcohol. |
Created by:
JacobFisher