Objectives
The course in Forensic Medicine is designed to present to the medical students the basic medicolegal problems important in their common work as general practitioners and specialists of different medical branches. The main aim of this teaching is to give students opportunities to see different injuries of the body and understanding of both natural and violent causes of death, including problems in forensic toxicology.
Course Structure
The teaching is organized by the Institute of Forensic medicine during the 11th semester.
The total number of lessons 75
- theoretical lectures 41
- seminars 12
- practicals 22
The forensic autopsy demonstration provides to the students gross examination of different morphological and traumatic lesions in order to find relationship between the injuries and the causes of death. The second goal is to provide knowledge how to determine the manner of death.
Requirement for the signature and certification of the semester
- 19 practical lessons (out of 22) - 3 practical lessons are allowed to be lost, all other missed practical lessons (19) must be made up during the semester
- 31 theoretical and seminar lessons (out of 53) - 22 lessons of lectures and seminars are allowed to be lost
One obligatory colloquium is organized during the semester, with 20 questions. It is counted for the final score of points.
The textbook: Savić S, Veljković S, Đokić V, Alempijević Đ, Nikolić S. FORENSIC MEDICINE - textbook for medical students, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 2002
Prof. Zoran Mihailović, MD, PhD, chairperson
Prof. Slobodan Nikolić, MD, PhD
Prof. Vesna Popović, MD, PhD
Prof. Đorđe Alempijević, MD, PhD
Prof. Oliver Stojković, PhD
Prof. Zoran Mihailović, MD, PhD
Prof. Vladimir Živković, MD, PhD
Doc. Irina Damjanjuk, MD, PhD
Doc. Bojana Radnić, MD
Doc. Tijana Aćimović, MD, PhD
Doc. Milenko Bogdanović, MD, PhD
Doc. Danica Cvetković, MD, PhD
Asist. Aleksa Lekovic, MD
FORENSIC MEDICINE - INTRODUCTION; THE DOCTOR AND THE LAW
Legal system
The doctor in the court
Medical reports and statements
MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DEATH
The nature and definition of death
Criteria for diagnosing brain-stem death
Tissue and organ transplantation
Death certification
Medicolegal investigation of deaths
The autopsy
Exhumation
CHANGES AFTER DEATH
The early changes after death
Rigor mortis
Postmortem hypostasis
Cooling of the body after death
The estimation of the time of death
Post-mortem decomposition
Putrefaction
Mummification
Adipocere
Skeletalisation
Post-mortem injuries
UNEXPECTED AND SUDDEN DEATH FROM NATURAL CAUSES
Cardiovascular causes; coronary artery disease
Diseases of the arteries
Intracranial vascular lesions: ruptured berry aneurysm; cerebral hemorrhage
IDENTIFICATION OF THE LIVING AND DEAD
Fingerprints
Identification on the basis of teeth
Identification of decomposed or skeletalised remains
THE EXAMINATION OF WOUNDS
Medical reports on wounding
Classification of wounds
Abrasion
Bruises or contusions
Laceration
Incised wounds: slashed wounds; stab wounds
Punching, kicking, bite marks
REGIONAL INJURIES
Head injuries
Skull fractures
Intracranial haemorrhage
Brain damage
Spinal injury
Chest injuries
Abdominal injuries
Neck injuries
FIREARM AND EXPLOSIVE INJURIES
Types of firearms: shot-guns, rifled weapons
Wounds from smooth bore guns
Wounds from rifled weapons: entrance wounds; exit wounds
Explosives
TRANSPORTATION INJURIES
The medical examination of road traffic injuries
Pedestrians
Car occupants; the function of seat belts
Motor cycle and cycle injuries
Railway injuries
Aircraft fatalities; mass disasters
EFFECTS OF INJURIES
Hemorrhage
Infection
Embolism; pulmonary thromboembolism; fat embolism; air embolism
ASPHYXIA AND PRESSURE ON THE NECK AND CHEST
Vagal inhibition or reflex cardiac arrest
Manual strangulation (throttling)
Ligature strangulation
Hanging
Traumatic asphyxia
IMMERSION AND DROWNING; OTHER FORMS OF ASPHYXIATION
Signs of immersion
Drowning
Other forms of asphyxiation
INJURY DUE TO HEAT, COLD AND ELECTRICITY
Injury due to heat: scalds and burning
Causes of death in burns
The examination of bodies recovered from fires
Injuries on burned bodies
Cold injury - hypothermia
Electrical injury; the electrical lesion
Death from lightning
NEGLECT, STARVATION AND ABUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Neglect and starvation
Torture: physical abuse of human right
Syndrome of child abuse and neglect
DEATH AND INJURY IN INFANCY
Still-births
The estimation of maturity of a new-born baby or fetus
Infanticide
Sudden infant death syndrome
PREGNANCY AND ABORTION
Pregnancy
Artificial insemination
Legal termination of pregnancy
Abortion; criminal abortion
Methods of performing illegal abortion
The doctor s action in respect of illegal abortion
SEXUAL OFFENSES
Rape
Incest
Homosexual offenses
The doctor s duty in the examination of sexual offenses
Examination of an alleged assailant
GENERAL ASPECTS OF POISONING
The toxic and fatal dose; tolerance and idiosyncrasy
The doctor's duty in suspected poisoning
Samples required for toxicological analysis
MEDICINAL POISONS
Analgesics
Antidepressant and sedative drugs
Barbiturates
Insulin
CORROSIVE AND METALLIC POISONS
Corrosive poisons: acids and alkalis
Heavy metal poisoning: arsenic, antimony, mercury,thallium
AGRO-CHEMICAL POISONS
Pesticides
Insecticides
Herbicides
GASEOUS AND MISCELLANEOUS POISONS
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Cyanogen gas and cyanides
Strychnine
Halogenated hydrocarbons
FORENSIC ASPECTS OF ALCOHOL
The use and sources of alcohol (ethanol)
Absorption and elimination of alcohol
The measurement of alcohol
The effects of alcohol
Drinking and driving
DRUGS OF DEPENDENCE AND ABUSE
Tolerance, dependence and withdrawal symptoms
The dangers of drug dependence
Heroin, morphine and other opioids
Barbiturates, amphetamines, cocaine, cannabis, LSD, solvent abuse
BLOOD STAINS,GROUPS, DNA AND IDENTIFICATION
Blood stains
The individuality of blood
The inheritance of blood group
Identification by DNA profiling
MURDER, SUICIDE OR ACCIDENT?
Manner of death
Firearms
Knife wounds
Hanging, strangling and suffocation
Drowning
Poisoning
MEDICO LEGAL ASPECTS OF MENTAL DISEASE
Types of abnormal mental condition
Mental disease and criminal responsibility
The effect of drink or drugs on responsibility
MODE OF FORMATION OF THE FINAL GRADE
The final score of the points is a sum of the achieved points for:
|
|
Maximum number of points |
|
1. regularity of attendance |
10 |
|
2. colloquium |
20 |
|
3. practical exam |
20 |
|
4. final test |
50 |
|
Total |
100 |
The points for the regularity of attendance
|
Number of lost lessons |
Points |
|
0 |
10 |
|
1-4 |
9 |
|
5-8 |
8 |
|
9-13 |
7 |
|
14-17 |
5 |
|
18-21 |
3 |
|
22-25 |
1 |
|
26 and more |
0 |
One obligatory colloquium is organized during the semester, with 20 questions. The achieved number of points on the colloquium (mathematically rounded to whole values from 0 to 20) is entered in the sum of the final grade.
The points for the practical exam, which takes place in the form of describing and recognizing of the characteristic types of injuries:
|
Grade on the practical exam |
Points |
|
5 |
failed |
|
6 |
12 |
|
7 |
14 |
|
8 |
16 |
|
9 |
18 |
|
10 |
20 |
The final test consists of 60 questions, with maximum 60 points. The range of points for each grade is presented in the table
|
Test points |
Grade |
Grade points |
|
Less than 36 |
5 |
- |
|
36-37 |
6 |
30 |
|
37,1 - 42 |
7 |
35 |
|
42,1 - 48 |
8 |
40 |
|
48,1 - 54 |
9 |
45 |
|
54,1 - 60 |
10 |
50 |
The mode of forming of the final grade
|
The total sum of points |
Grade |
Grade |
Description |
|
up to 51 |
5 |
five |
failed |
|
51,1 - 61 |
6 |
six |
sufficient |
|
61,1 - 71 |
7 |
seven |
good |
|
71,1 - 81 |
8 |
eight |
very good |
|
81,1 - 91 |
9 |
nine |
excellent |
|
91,1 - 100 |
10 |
ten |
remarkable |
Example
|
|
Sum of points |
|
1. regularity of attendance |
8 |
|
2. colloquium |
12 |
|
3. practical exam |
20 |
|
4. final test |
40 |
|
Total |
80 |
|
|
final grade 8 |
Research topics
Prof. dr Zoran MIhailović
Address: Institute of Forensic Medicine, Deligradska 31a, 11000 Belgrade
Phone: +381 11 2682 522
Fax :+381 11 2641 140
E-mail: mihailoviczoran02@gmail.com