ABMDI Registry flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Medicolegal death investigation

A statutory system that investigates deaths in specified categories, such as violent, unexpected, unattended, or suspicious deaths, to determine cause and manner and support legal processes.

Coroner versus medical examiner

A coroner is usually an elected or appointed official who may not be a physician; a medical examiner is typically a physician, often a forensic pathologist, appointed to the role.

Cause versus manner

Cause of death is the disease or injury that produces the fatal outcome; manner is the classification of how death arose, such as natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined.

Chain of custody

A documented chronological record of each person who handled evidence or a specimen, including dates, times, and transfers, used to show integrity and support admissibility.

Scene safety assessment

The first priority at any death scene: identify and control hazards from structures, chemicals, weapons, animals, traffic, or infectious exposures before approaching the decedent.

Jurisdiction confirmation

Before responding, the investigator verifies that the death falls within the office's legal authority based on location, circumstances, and statutory criteria, and documents the notifying source.

First responder interview

A documented conversation with the first arriving personnel to establish who found the decedent, when, what actions were taken, and whether anything was moved or altered.

Scene personnel log

A record of every person entering or leaving the scene, with name, agency, time, and purpose, used to limit contamination and account for scene access.

Overall scene photograph

A wide-angle image taken before alteration that shows the decedent in relation to the entire scene, including entrances, exits, and fixed landmarks, establishing context.

Evidence chain form

A form recording each item collected, its description, location, collector, date and time, and every subsequent transfer, forming the legal record of custody.

Scene sketch measurements

A diagram using fixed reference points and measured distances to place the decedent, evidence, and furniture; it notes whether it is drawn to scale.

Digital evidence preservation

Securing phones, computers, and storage devices without altering data; documenting location and condition, and obtaining legal authority before searching contents when required.

Livor mortis

Postmortem settling of blood in dependent vessels, producing purplish discoloration; its distribution can suggest position after death and whether the body was moved.

Rigor mortis

Postmortem stiffening of muscles that begins in small muscles and progresses and resolves over hours; it is influenced by temperature and activity and is not a precise time-of-death clock.

Petechiae

Tiny pinpoint hemorrhages in skin or conjunctivae that may result from increased pressure in small vessels; they are documented by location and are not specific to one cause.

Postmortem artifact

A change produced after death, such as drying, marbling, or animal activity, that can mimic injury; it must be distinguished from true antemortem trauma and documented.

Scientific identification

Establishing identity through fingerprints, dental comparison, DNA, or radiographic comparison, which is more reliable than visual recognition when the body is altered.

Next-of-kin notification

An in-person, compassionate communication to the legally appropriate family member that confirms the death, provides verified information, and avoids speculation about cause or manner.

Death notification content

The notification should state the decedent's name, the fact and location of death, and a clear contact point, using plain language and limiting graphic detail unless the family requests it.

Visual identification limits

Recognition by a family member or witness can be unreliable after trauma, decomposition, or facial alteration, so it is documented but corroborated by scientific methods when possible.

Manner of death categories

The standard classifications are natural, accident, suicide, homicide, and undetermined; pending is a status while investigation continues, not a final manner category.

Homicide classification

In death investigation, homicide means death caused by another person's act; it is a medicolegal classification and does not by itself establish criminal intent or legal guilt.

Undetermined manner

Used when available evidence is insufficient, conflicting, or cannot distinguish among competing manners after reasonable investigation; the rationale should be documented.

Child death investigation

A multi-agency process that includes scene analysis, caretaker interviews, medical and social history, and review by a child fatality review team when required by law.

Objective report writing

Reports should record directly observed facts, statements attributed to sources, and actions taken in chronological order, clearly separating observation from opinion or speculation.

Report correction method

Errors are corrected with a single line through the original entry, the correction, initials, and date, preserving legibility; erasures or obliteration undermine the record's reliability.

Records release authority

Medicolegal records are released only under applicable law, court order, or agency policy, with verification of the requester's identity and legal right to receive them.

Interagency documentation

Contacts with law enforcement, EMS, fire, public health, and funeral homes are recorded with agency, name, time, and information exchanged to maintain accountability.

Statutory authority limit

An investigator's legal power comes only from statutes and office policy; entering property, searching, or seizing evidence requires consent, a warrant, or another recognized legal basis.

Conflict of interest

Any personal, financial, or professional interest that could influence an investigation must be disclosed and managed according to policy to preserve impartiality and public trust.

Ethical impartiality

Decisions about cause and manner must rest on evidence rather than personal beliefs, relationships, or pressure; bias based on culture, race, or status must be actively avoided.

Testimony personal knowledge

A witness may testify to facts personally observed or records reviewed; speculation, hearsay, and opinions outside the witness's qualification should be avoided unless permitted by law.