Introduction to Forensic Medicine

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, the student will have acquired the following:

• Understanding the importance of issuing a medical death certificate by the medical doctor and the legal ramifications of this act
• Acquiring the necessary background in Forensic investigation of death and how this is approached in different settings.
• Understanding the basic principles and the methodology applied in Forensic medicine and familiarizing with the examination of corpses in order to investigate the circumstances of death.
• Understanding the process of differential diagnosis in forensic cases and the value of circumstantial evidence.
• Understanding the correlation of macroscopic findings with histological and toxicological analysis findings for the comprehensive investigation of a death of medico-forensic significance
• Understanding the importance of medicolegal investigation of violent deaths, sudden deaths and deaths in custody
• Understanding the role of the Forensic Pathologists in mass disasters

Lectures

1. Introduction to Forensic Medicine
2. Crime scene investigation and recovery of evidence
3. The Forensic autopsy protocol: procedures-sampling and reporting
4. Forensic investigation of Natural deaths
5. Forensic Investigation of Violent deaths
6. Deaths from Electricity, Gas and Physical agents
7. Asphyxia
8. Water-related deaths
9. Death by Neglect, Starvation and Dehydration.
10. Elder abuse.
11. Deaths by drug abuse and poisoning
12. Deaths of neonates and children
13.  Forensic Histopathology in the investigation of death
14. Clinical Forensic Medicine

Recommended Bibliography

1. Lecture notes
2. Catanese C.A. Color Atlas of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. CRC Press, Boca Raton;2017
3. Di Maio, VJM, Forensic Pathology, 2nd edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton; 2001.
4. Di Maio, VJM, Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, 3rd edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton;2015
5.  Madea, B. The Estimation of the Time Since Death, Third Edition CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2016
6. Molina, DC, Handbook of Forensic Toxicology for Medical Examiners, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2010
7. Moritz, AR, The Pathology of Trauma, 2nd edition ed. Philadelphia; 1954.
8. Pounder D. [http://www.dundee.ac.uk/forensicmedicine/notes/notes.html]
9. Saukko, P, Knight, B (eds). Knight’s Forensic Pathology.  CRC press; Boca Raton FL, 2015
10. Shkrum, MJ, Forensic Pathology of Trauma: Common Problems for the Pathologist, Humana Press; 2007 edition  
11. Spitz, W ‘Fisher’s and Spits’ Madicolegal Investigation of Death, 4th Ed, Ch.Thomas, Springfield, 2006.
12. Spitz, W ‘Fisher’s and Spits’ Madicolegal Investigation of Death, 5th Ed, Ch.Thomas, Springfield, 2020.