MEDICAL LEGAL

ASPECTS OF
INVESTIGATION

Identity persons conception & expression

of their individuality or group affiliations
national or cultural identity.
National identity persons identity & sense
of belonging to ones state or one nation,
a feeling ones share with a group of
people regardless of ones citizenship
status.

Cultural identity - identity of a group or

culture or of an individual as influenced
by ones belonging to a group or culture.

Sexual related crimes issues including

pedophilia, child pornongraphy, rape,
sexual assault, date rape, incest &
stalking
1. Child pronography pornography
depicting
sexually explicit activities involving a
child.
Pornography explicit portrayal of sexual
subject matter for the purpose of sexual
gratification.

May use a variety of media like writings,

magazines, photos, drawing, cartoons,
paintings, animation, sound recording,
film showing, video & video games.

2. Rape - crime of forcing another to

submit to sex acts especially sexual
intercourse.
- sexual assault usually involving sexual
intercourse initiated by one or more
persons without that persons consent.
- can be carried by physical force,
coercion, abuse of authority or with a
person who is incapable of valid consent:
unconscious , incapacitated

MEDICO- LEGAL ASPECTS OF DEATH

DEATH as the absence of life in a living being.

Importance of death determination:
1. Personality of a person is extinguished by
death
2. Criminal liabilty is extinguished by death
3. Property of a person is transmitted to heirs or
nearest kin
4. Basis of immediate removal of organs for
transplant

3.. Property of a person is transmitted to

nearest heirs or nearest of kin
Basis of immediate removal of organs for
transplantation
Civil case for claim is dismissed

Kinds of Death:
1. Somatic or clinical death complete
continous cessation of respiration,
circulation and almost all brain functions
of an organism
Immediate sings of death: sudden cessation
of upward & downward movements of the
chest & the process of respiration

SOMATIC DEATH

SOMATIC DEATH

2. Sudden appearance of pale color of the

face & lips
3. The heart and pulse rate stops
4. Jaw drops down and flaccidity of the
muscles occurs
5. Pupils dilates and loss of corneal & light
reflexes

1.

2.

CLINICAL TYPES OF DEATH

Sociological death the withdrawal &
separation from the patient by others
producing a sense of isolation &
abandonment
-may last for 5 years if abandoned by
family, unvisited & left alone to die

2. Psychic death the patient regresses,

gives up or surrenders accepting death
prematurely & refuses to continue living
3. Biologic death characterized by the
absence of cognitive function or
awareness although artificial support
system may maintain organs functioning.

4. Physiologic death all vital organs cease

to function

B. Molecular or Cellular death cessation of

life of the individual cells in the body
which occurs one at a time after a
somatic death. Nerve & brain cells die
first earlier about 5 minutes

while muscles cells live longer until the

onset of rigor mortis which is about 2-6
hours
3c. Apparent death or state of suspended
animation state of temporary cessation of
vital activities of the body. Not actually
death because the person is still alive altho
it seems that there are no signs of life.
- can be seen in uremia, drowning,
electrocution sometimes in infants

SIGNS OF DEATH
ANSWERS TO THE FOLLOWIGN QUESTIONS
MUST BE OBTAINED IN ANY CASE FOR
SUBJECT OF INVESTIGAITON:
1. Is the body dead?
2. How long has the body been dead
3. What is the cause of death?

External Signs of Death

The most useful signs of death those
which can be detected by the external
examination of the body.
1. Loss of power to move & insensibility of
the body determined by visual
inspection
2. Stoppage of respiration person can hold
his breath not loner than 31/2 min.

A. upward & downward movements of the

chest & abdomen must be observed no
movement upon death
B. Palpation of the respiratory movement
C. Examination with the use of stethoscope
flow of air can be heard if there is
respiration
D. Mirror test dimming of the mirror due to
condensation if respiration is present

E. Placing of a feather of cotton fiber in the

nostrils & mouth if there is movement
then respiration is present
F. Place a glass of water at the chest region
region- if there is movement of water,
then respiration on is present.
G. Winslow test there is stoppage of
respiration if there is no movement of the
reflected image on the water on the chest
of a person lying on his back

3. Stoppage of heart action & circulation- if

there is no heart action for a period of 510 min, death is considered, cannot be
revived by cardiac massage & other
resuscitative measures for a period of 5
min.
decapitation & hanging the heart beat
persists for 15 min-1 hour

Decapitation separation of the head from

the body
-Beheading act of intentional decapitation

Methods of detecting stoppage

of the heart action & circulation
Heart Action
1. Palpation of the heart
2. Auscultation with the aid of stethoscope
3. Fluoroscopic examination
Fluoroscopy examination- type of x-ray
exam that visualizes all the organs &
tissues in the body
A.

Fluoroscopy Examination

Fluoroscopy examination

B. Examination of the
Peripheral Circulation
Peripheral circulation - transport of the
oxygenated blood & nutrients through
the arteries to the capillaries where it
nourishes the tissues.
1. Magnum test ligature is tied around the
finger, blood zone at the site of the
application

2. Palpation of the radial pulse, carotid

pulse & the femoral pulse

RADIAL PULSE

Radial Pulse

Carotid Pulse

Carotid pulse

Femoral pulse

Femoral pulse

Femoral pulse

CAUSES OF DEATH
CLASSIFICATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF
DEATH
A. Natural death occurs due to a disease or
ailment in the body .
- disease may occur spontaneously or it
might have been a consequence of the
physical injury inflicted prior to its
development.

B. Violent death due to injuries by some

forms of outside force wherein the
physical injuries inflicted is the proximate
cause of death.

1.
2.

CLASSIFICATION OF PHYSICAL INJURIES:

Physical injury use of physical force
Thermal injuru