The Characteristics of Bruises

  • September 26, 2019 at 10:45 am
What Affects the Appearance of a Bruise? Bruising is one of the most common types of physical injury observed in victims of violence, assault, and abuse. There are several factors that affect a bruise’s appearance, such as: Tissue type Loose connective tissue type sites, such as the eye, face, and genitalia show more bruising. Fat [&hellip Read More...

Physical Abuse or Easy Bruising?

  • June 28, 2019 at 1:00 pm
PHYSICAL SIGNS OF ABUSE When searching “physical signs of abuse,” many journals and websites list the following physical characteristics: Bruises Cuts Burns Restraint or grip markings Black eyes Unusual pattern of injury Repeated trips to the Emergency Department ….with “bruises” often listed first since most are caused by physical injury. However, there are underlying conditions [&hellip Read More...

Visualization of Old Bruises in Children

  • February 27, 2019 at 2:00 pm
Ultraviolet Radiation and Forensics In forensics, ultraviolet radiation is used to enhance injuries of the skin. It has been reported that ultraviolet radiation can help visualize an old bruise and can also estimate the shape of the object that caused the bruise. For example, where bruising was faint, old and difficult to recognize, ultraviolet radiation [&hellip Read More...

Aging a bruise on Autopsy

  • January 30, 2019 at 10:40 am
Those of you who follow me know I have several posts about how you can’t date bruises by color, but there is emerging literature to show that bruises can be dated on tissue analysis: How can a bruise’s age be determined if not by color? Once the bruise is formed, the body reacts by activating [&hellip Read More...

Infection, Delirium, and Homicide

In April, I covered delirium and noted that there are many underlying etiologies that can cause it. One such etiology is infection. Infection and our body Our bodies are constantly fighting infections. Our skin is the first barrier, but we are often exposed to pathogens through open wounds, our respiratory system, or our mouths. Most [&hellip Read More...