Forensic Traumatology: Understanding Injuries and Legal Consequences

Posted on Nov 23, 2024 in Medicine & Health

PRESENTATION: Forensic Traumatology

Lesion: Any damage to the body, organ, or mental health of an individual, internally or externally caused by physical, chemical, biological, or psychological mechanisms, used by an attacker without causing the victim’s death.

DAMAGE TO THE BODY:
All changes that compromise anatomical integrity, whether internal or external.

HEALTH DAMAGE:
Infringement of any bodily or mental functions, clinical signs or symptoms, and detectable alterations in paraclinical tests.

DEFORMITY:
Impairment of an important aspect ostensibly affecting the body’s shape, symmetry, or aesthetics at rest or in motion.

FACE:
Anatomical region bounded by the scalp’s hairline and upper limit, laterally along the edge of the ears, and the flange on the bottom jaw.

PARTIAL LOSS OF FUNCTION:
Significant decrease in an organ or member’s physiology, without complete loss or abolition of function.

FUNCTIONAL LOSS:
Complete cancellation of an organ or limb’s function with the preservation of anatomical structures.

Anatomical Loss (Female):
Complete or nearly complete removal of an organ. Amputation level is the proximal third member.

Psychic Disturbance:
Any alteration of mental health or decline from the individual’s state prior to the injury.

Anatomical Planes.

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CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF THE CRIME OF PERSONAL INJURY:

  • An injury to body or health.
  • An aggressor.
  • A result.

OPINION OF PERSONAL INJURY:

  • Anamnesis.
  • Opinion of the injury.
  • Vulnerant Element (weapon).
  • Medical-legal disability.
  • Medical-legal sequelae.

HISTORY:

  • Identification Data.
  • Brief comment on the facts.
  • Patient Information:
    • Verbatim.
    • According to physician interpretation.

NATURE OF INJURY:

Usefulness:

  • Causal element.
  • Medical-legal inability.
  • Aftermath.
  • Confront versions.
  • Establish evolution of the lesion.
  • Establish treatment performed.
  • Criterion of gravity.

Steps:

  • Identification of injury.
  • Description of injury.
  • Location of the lesion.

Gunshot Injury:

  • Location of anatomical plane.
  • Distance from the apex.
  • Distance from the midline.

Traffic Accidents:

  • Distance from injury to the heel.
  • Compare Versions.

VULNERABLE ELEMENTS OR TYPE OF WEAPON:

Mechanics:

Thermal physical media:

Chemical agents:

Biological agents:

Psychological mechanisms:

Mechanical Elements:

– Cutting Elements:

  • Blades.
  • Knives.
  • Glass.

INJURY BY CUTTING ELEMENTS:

Edges:

  • Fine.
  • Regular.
  • Further extension to depth.

TIPPING:

  • Staple.
  • Pointed tool.

NEEDLES:

TIPPING WOUNDS:

Injuries:

  • Pinpoint.
  • Circular.
  • Small.

ELEMENTS PUNZOCORTANTES:

  • Knives.
  • Scalpel.

INJURIES BY PUNZOCORTANTES ELEMENTS:

Injury:

  • Medium length and depth.
  • In the form of a goldfish.

Blunt:

  • Bats.
  • Rods.
  • Bumper.

Blunt Injuries:

  • Jagged edges.
  • Dermal bridges.
  • Degree of injury:
    • Force.
    • Speed.
    • Mass.
  • Ecchymosis.
  • Edema.
  • Hematoma.

CORTOCONTUNDENTES ELEMENTS:

  • Machete.

ELEMENT CORTOCONTUNDENTES WOUNDS:

  • Combining cutting edge and mass.
  • Sharp and regular edges.
  • Edema.

FIREARM PROJECTILE:

  • Small circle injury.
  • Input hole edge with inversion and smoking sign, and powder burn (Mine Hoffman).
  • Exit hole edge with eversion.

Thermally:

  • Burns, frost cracks, cooling injuries.

TOXIC:

  • Drugs.
  • Acids.
  • Alkalis.

BIOLOGICAL AGENTS:

  • Viruses.
  • Bacteria.
  • Fungi.

Psychological Mechanisms:

  • Kidnapping.
  • Blackmail.
  • Threats.

Injury Patterns:

Definition:

An injury that, by its configuration or location, suggests the object that caused the injury or a mechanism or sequence of events.

MEDICAL-LEGAL DISABILITY:

Definition:

Time in days determined by the expert, taking into account the duration and severity of the injury.

Types:

  • Provisional medical-legal disability.
  • Final medical-legal disability.

PROVISIONAL MEDICAL-LEGAL DISABILITY:

  • Time expressed in days.
  • Injuries are in the process of biological repair.
  • The outcome of the injury is not yet known.

FINAL MEDICAL-LEGAL DISABILITY:

  • When primary bioremediation is complete.

Incapacity for Work:

RESULT OF COMPLICATIONS:

  • Increased disability.
  • Increased impact of the aftermath.

MEDICAL-LEGAL SEQUELAE:

Definition:

Any significant alteration in shape and/or function that persists or goes beyond primary bioremediation.

Types:

  • Aesthetic.
  • Functional.
  • Deficiency.
  • Obstetrical.

MEDICAL-LEGAL SEQUELAE:

AESTHETIC: DEFORMITY

FUNCTIONAL: DISTURBANCE

DEFICIENCY: LOSS

AESTHETIC SEQUELAE:

  • Temporary and/or permanent physical deformity.
  • Temporary and/or permanent physical deformity affecting the face.

Functional Sequelae:

  • Temporary and/or permanent functional disturbance of an organ.
  • Temporary and/or permanent functional disturbance of a member.
  • Temporary or permanent psychological disturbance.
  • Temporary and/or permanent psychic disturbance secondary to central nervous system damage.
  • Temporary and/or permanent psychic disturbance secondary to other bodily injury.

DEFICIENCY SEQUELAE:

  • Functional loss of a member.
  • Loss of organ function.
  • Anatomical loss of a member.
  • Anatomical loss of an organ.

PUNITIVE OR AGGRAVATED OBSTETRICAL SEQUELAE:

  • Injuries followed by an abortion.
  • Injuries followed by premature delivery with harmful consequences for the health of the mother or child.