Egyptian Board Forensic Medicine - independent subject foundations cheat sheet

A defensible death investigation connects the scene, medical history, external and internal examination, laboratory results and the circumstances under which each observation was obtained.

Postmortem changes are contextual evidence, not a collection of exact clocks.

Laboratory estimates also have assumptions.

Identification uses comparability and the strength of the evidence.

Describe injuries before assigning intent.

Distinguish abrasions, contusions, lacerations and sharp-force defects through their actual features.

Ballistic interpretation requires the wound, clothing, scene and appropriate specialist examination.

Blunt injury mechanisms can connect anatomy with force.

Asphyxial investigation requires a coherent mechanism rather than one supposedly diagnostic external sign.

Drowning concerns respiratory impairment from immersion or submersion.

Diatom analysis has important contamination, sensitivity and interpretive limitations.

Fire investigation integrates scene circumstances, burn distribution, airway findings and relevant toxicology.

Clinical toxicology begins with physiological stabilization and a structured exposure assessment.

Mechanisms help explain hazards and treatment priorities.

Postmortem toxicology adds another layer of uncertainty.

A screening immunoassay and a confirmatory analytical result answer different questions.

A forensic medical opinion should be independent of the preferences of the person who requested it.

Documentation makes scientific work reviewable.

Expertise does not make every comparison valid.

Quality improvement should examine the process as well as individual outcomes.