Post Mortem Drug Use Diagnosis Quiz

Diagnosing Drug Use Post Mortem

• Dental Examination is NOT typically used to diagnose drug use post mortem
• Autopsy and Toxicology Testing are commonly used methods

Forensic Pathology

• In cases of ambiguous death, the corpse should go to the forensic pathologist

Rigor Mortis

• Rigidity of the body is a characteristic feature of rigor mortis
• It is not the same as hypostasis, postmortem staining, or cooling of the body

Tissue Sampling for Evidence

• Hair, skin, kidney, and liver tissues can be sampled for evidence of chronic substance abuse
• All of these tissues can be used to detect signs of substance abuse

Livor Mortis (Post-Mortem Lividity)

• It is the settling of blood in the lower parts of the body due to gravity after death
• It is not the stiffening of muscles, cooling of the body temperature, or post-mortem examination of internal organs

Estimating Blood Loss

• A body lying on a grass or carpet may prevent correct estimation of blood loss
• A body lying on a normal floor does not interfere with estimating blood loss

Post-Mortem Signs

• Late post-mortem signs include: autolysis, putrefaction
• Early post-mortem signs include: rigor mortis, livor mortis, algor mortis

Confirming Brain Death

• A medical commission requiring two neurosurgeons or a neurosurgeon, a pediatrician or neurologist, and a neonatologist is needed to confirm brain death according to the CoM 10.08.2021 rule No. 538 editorial

Forensic Toxicology

• Hair is a commonly analyzed biological sample to detect the presence of drugs or poisons
• Aqueous humor samples can be collected for toxicology only when the body is “fresh”

Forensic Investigations

• Examination of physical injuries to determine the nature and extent of trauma is termed forensic anthropology