This course will provide an introduction to common terminology and pathophysiology of medical conditions to allow first responders and investigators at death scenes to assess potential medical contributions or complications leading to or contributing to the death.

Objectives:

• Understand basic medical terminology especially as related to conditions producing or contributing to natural death.
• Define types of hemorrhage in the central nervous system and the possible causes of each type.
• Articulate the pathophysiology of the electrical system of the heart, the anatomy of the heart and types of acute and chronic injury to the heart. Recognize common cardiac medications and treatments within the medical history of a death investigation.
• Understand the common diseases and functional disorders of the liver, lungs, pancreas and reproductive organs and how these may relate to sudden death and causes of natural deaths.
• Define inflammation and potential causes of inflammation. Contrast infectious and non-infectious inflammatory responses as they relate to death investigation.