ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) flashcards
ABMDI Board (F-ABMDI) · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Medical examiner system
- A system in which a physician, usually a forensic pathologist appointed to the office, investigates deaths and holds statutory authority to take jurisdiction, order autopsies, and certify death.
- Coroner system
- An elected or appointed public official, who may or may not be a physician, with statutory duty to investigate sudden, violent, or suspicious deaths occurring within the jurisdiction.
- Chain of custody
- The chronological written record tracking each transfer and location of evidence from collection to final disposition, including date, time, and the signature of every person who handled it.
- Statutory jurisdiction triggers
- Categories defined by state law that require examiner or coroner investigation, such as deaths without an attending physician, violent or unexplained deaths, deaths in custody, and deaths at work.
- HIPAA disclosure to medical examiner
- Federal privacy rules permit covered entities to disclose protected health information to a medical examiner or coroner for identification of a decedent or to carry out the official's lawful duties.
- Manner of death categories
- One of five classifications recorded on a death certificate: natural, accident, homicide, suicide, or undetermined; manner is a separate entry from the medical cause of death.
- Cause versus manner of death
- Cause of death is the injury or disease that produces the fatal physiologic disturbance; manner is the five-category classification describing how the death arose.
- Scene photograph sequence
- Documentation proceeds from overall views to midrange views to close-up views taken with a scale, all before anything at the scene is moved or altered.
- Paper bags over hands
- Paper bags placed on a decedent's hands preserve trace evidence and allow air circulation, whereas plastic bags trap moisture and promote decomposition.
- Triangulation scene measurement
- Measuring an object's location from two or more fixed permanent reference points so its position can be accurately recreated on a scene diagram.
- Scene sketch elements
- A diagram including fixed reference points, measured distances, body and evidence locations, a legend, a scale, orientation, and the investigator's name and date.
- Environmental scene documentation
- Recording indoor and outdoor temperature, thermostat settings, window and door status, and weather, which supports time-since-death estimation and interpretation of decomposition findings.
- Decedent property at scene
- Items on or near the body are photographed, inventoried, and either retained as evidence under chain of custody or released according to agency policy and statute.
- Primary identification methods
- Fingerprint comparison, dental comparison, DNA analysis, and radiographic comparison are scientifically accepted primary identifiers; visual recognition by family is secondary and unreliable after trauma or decomposition.
- Postmortem fingerprint recovery
- Fingers are massaged, rehydrated, or injected to restore ridge detail so prints can be recorded and compared with antemortem fingerprint records.
- Dental identification comparison
- A forensic odontologist compares postmortem charting, radiographs, restorations, and missing teeth with antemortem dental records in order to establish identity.
- DNA reference sample
- A known sample, such as a buccal swab from a relative or an antemortem personal item, compared with a postmortem sample to confirm identity.
- Decedent property inventory
- Every item is described, photographed when valuable, receipted, and stored under chain of custody until lawfully released to the next of kin or another authorized person.
- External examination data set
- Sex, apparent age, height, weight, hair, eye color, scars, tattoos, marks, and visible injuries recorded to support identification and injury documentation.
- Unidentified decedent database entry
- Unidentified cases are entered into national systems such as NamUs with retained biological samples and recorded distinguishing features available for later comparison.
- Rigor mortis timeline
- Rigor begins about one to four hours after death, is complete in roughly six to twelve hours, and resolves over about twenty-four to thirty-six hours, modified by temperature and antemortem activity.
- Livor mortis fixation
- Lividity appears within about twenty minutes to two hours, blanches until fixed at roughly eight to twelve hours, and its distribution reflects the body's final position.
- Algor mortis cooling rate
- Under temperate conditions a body cools about one to one and a half degrees Fahrenheit per hour toward ambient temperature, modified by clothing, body fat, air movement, and immersion.
- Stab wound skin defect
- The skin defect may be shorter than the blade width because skin recoils elastically, so wound depth cannot be judged from the surface appearance alone.
- Gunshot entrance wound features
- Entrance wounds typically show an abrasion collar and may show soot, tattooing, or a muzzle imprint; exit wounds are usually larger and irregular without an abrasion collar.
- Tissue bridging in lacerations
- Blunt force lacerations show intact tissue strands bridging the wound edges, which distinguishes them from incised wounds produced by sharp force.
- Death certificate cause sequence
- The certificate lists the immediate cause, the conditions leading to it, the underlying cause that initiated the sequence, and other significant contributing conditions.
- Pending cause of death
- A certification status used when toxicology, histology, or other studies are outstanding, with the reason documented and the certificate amended when results return.
- Objective report language
- Reports state observed findings and qualified interpretations, separate fact from opinion, and avoid conclusions about criminal responsibility or the decedent's intent.
- Release of case information
- Case records are disclosed only to persons authorized by statute or policy, such as next of kin, law enforcement, prosecutors, and treating physicians.
- Scope of expert testimony
- An investigator gives opinions only within documented education, training, and experience, supported by case records rather than speculation or assumptions.
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- An investigator discloses any personal, financial, or professional relationship involving a case and withdraws from involvement when impartiality could reasonably be questioned.