Egyptian Board Forensic Medicine - independent subject foundations key terms

The disease or injury initiating the medically coherent sequence that ultimately resulted in the death under investigation.

The physiological process leading to death, which should not substitute for identifying the underlying disease or injury.

An estimated interval since death that requires consideration of method assumptions, environmental conditions and uncertainty.

Dependent postmortem discoloration related to blood distribution within vessels, interpreted with position, pressure and subsequent changes.

Postmortem muscular stiffness associated with biochemical changes, whose timing varies with numerous intrinsic and environmental factors.

A wax-like postmortem transformation of fat that can occur under suitable conditions and complicate simple timing assumptions.

Postmortem dehydration and preservation favored by appropriate environmental conditions rather than one universal chronological threshold.

Residual strands across a wound that support a blunt-force laceration when interpreted with the surrounding tissue features.

An injury reproducing aspects of a contacting surface without necessarily establishing one unique object or complete event sequence.

Embedded particulate effects near a firearm wound whose interpretation depends on circumstances and appropriate specialist evaluation.

Combustion residue whose distribution may inform a fire or firearm investigation but requires contextual interpretation.

Small hemorrhages that may occur in multiple circumstances and are not independent proof of an asphyxial death.

Respiratory impairment associated with immersion or submersion, requiring integration of circumstances and medical evidence in a death investigation.

A recognizable pattern of clinical effects that can guide urgent assessment without proving one specific chemical exposure.

Postmortem movement of substances between tissues and fluids that can change measured concentrations and complicate interpretation.

A sufficiently specific analytical method used to investigate a screening result and identify an analyte more reliably.

Documented identification and transfer history of evidence, complementing rather than replacing correct collection, storage and analytical controls.

A probability concerning an unrelated profile match under stated assumptions, distinct from the probability of guilt or innocence.

Random variation that can become important in low-template analysis and influence interpretation of incomplete genetic results.

Structured evaluation by another suitably qualified person that can reveal discrepancies, unsupported inferences and systematic process weaknesses.