What is a nasal fracture, really?
Nasal fractures are the most common facial fracture and the third most common fracture of any bone in the body. They most frequently occur as a result of assault or motor vehicle collisions. What we call our “nose” is made up of both bone and cartilage where the cartilage sits in front of the bone. […]
Traumatic Injuries: GBI/SBI
In regards to Great Bodily Injury or Significant Bodily injury: Many wounds from blunt force trauma by themselves would not qualify as permanently disabling or disfiguring. The severity of the wound oftentimes is not as readily obvious as it might seem. Many lacerations bleed heavily, especially those in the head, and are not necessarily even […]
Patterned Injuries from Trauma
Patterned Injuries: These are injuries in which the physical characteristics of the wound match the object that cause them. They can be present in all types of injuries: This month’s criminal topic is Cuts and Bruises (Blunt Force Trauma). Topics covered are: Bruises and dating of them (10/3/14) Abrasions and […]
Abrasions & Lacerations
An Abrasion is a scrape from friction between the skin and another surface. The surface does not necessarily need to be hard, but the softer it is, the more friction is needed. An example of hard surface abrasions are road rash from motor vehicle accidents, where the skin is dragged one direction across the pavement. […]
Bruises & Dating of Them
Contusion: This is a bruise and is caused by an impact with a hard object or pressure that causes the blood vessels under the skin to burst and blood to leak out into the cellular space. Typically appears as a range of colors in a localized area on the skin. Current literature states that bruises […]
Schizophrenia: Symptoms and Diagnosis
There is currently no diagnostic test for schizophrenia. The age of onset is usually between the late teens and early thirties. Diagnosis is based on an individual’s history and presenting symptoms. Positive, negative and cognitive symptoms are identified. Positive symptoms are delusions and hallucinations. Sometimes people confuse these two symptoms. A delusion is a belief […]
Schizophrenia Case Scenario
The police were called to a busy intersection of the city because a man was standing in traffic, shouting and stopping cars. He was a white male, in his early twenties with an unkempt appearance. When the police questioned him he stated that he was an undercover FBI agent. He said that his job was […]
What do you know about strangulation? A few facts
Abusers do not always understand the medical severity of the act of strangulation
Lethality is based on duration, quantity and surface area of applied force
