Forensic medicine and pathology

Department:     Netherlands Forensic Institute, The Hague
Supervisor:       B.F.L. Oude Grotebevelsborg, MD

This workshop is an introduction to many different aspects of medico-legal investigation in cases of death, as performed by forensic physicians in the Netherlands. Illustrated by various cases and photographs it provides an overview of causes, mechanisms and manners of death, as well as the general pathology and interpretation of injuries. Because there is a widespread variety in the organisation of forensic medicine and pathology in different countries, the Dutch situation and differences with other countries will be discussed. Furthermore there will be attention to the pathophysiology of death and estimating the time since death, with topics like post mortal body cooling, hypostasis, rigor mortis, autolysis and putrefaction as well as forensic entomology. Apart from natural death, its definition and its causes, unnatural death like caused by asphyxia, gunshot and explosion trauma, burns and scalds, immersion and poisoning will be considered. In an interactive session you will learn how to perform an external examination of a dead body and some pitfalls one may encounter.