forensic- odontology
by Leif Kullman
Forensic Medicine, a short description of the subject and their
way to work in Sweden.
In Sweden about 100.000 persons decease annually. Approximately 40 to 50 % of these sustain an autopsy or postmortem examination.
Most of these autopsies are performed in hospitals. The patient has been nursed for some time and usually a rather simple postmortem examination can be performed to establish a cause of death that already is suspected. According to the laws the cause of death must be known for a dead person before the body can be buried.
Another situation comes up if someone falls down dead to the ground in a street somewhere, or dies alone in his home without having any known disease or any medical caretaker. Or if someone is subject for a crime, for example homicide.
The authorities must then carry out an investigation to settle the circumstances around the death and also to establish the cause of death. Hence the most comprehensive work conducted by Forensic Medicine Departments in Sweden is the examination of deceased persons on behalf of the police or prosecution authorities.
Some 5.500 examinations are performed annually.
Three different forms of postmortem investigations.
Those who work with Forensic Medicine can also be said to work in pathology. The important organs of the body must be investigated regarding all pathological conditions and their possible connection to the death of the person must be established.
However, as we have pointed out a pathologist works with autopsies in the usual hospitals. Special laws regulate the Forensic autopsies. There are three kinds of investigations that the authority in charge may request.
These three different forms are the forensic postmortem, the extended forensic postmortem (used in homicide cases for example) and finally what is known as "the viewing of the body for forensic purposes". This is an examination of the external features of the body and collection of specimens for toxicological analysis.
Not only investigations on dead people
Doctors in Forensic Medicine do not only perform investigations in dead people, but also in living. People who have been assaulted or raped have often injuries that must be evaluated and described before possible future court proceedings. Both the victim
and the suspected perpetrator can be examined. All injuries must then be exactly described, including their location and their general appearance. If some weapon or tool has been used to injury someone, it must be registered if the injuries can be stabs or damages from other tools, blunt ones for example. Sometimes it can also be important to take specimen from a tissue or from blood, saliva etc. Future DNA tests can then be carried out to connect the specimen to a specific suspected person.
Photos and other kinds of registrations, as for example impressions, of injuries are also often taken, besides this medical investigation
Sometimes Forensic doctors assist the police in the investigation of crime scenes. They also appear in court as expert witnesses, providing advice and consultation services for the police and prosecution authorities, the courts, the health services, and others.
Of course a major activity is to provide education in forensic medicine subjects for these same groups, including medical students. Forensic medicine is included in the basic medical education for doctors. The different Departments also maintain and support the relatives/survivors in connection with individual cases.
Forensic doctors are as well as forensic dentists included in The Swedish Identification Commission. More about this commission can be read in my month report in November 1996.
Next month I will report about an interesting identification case of an unknown dead.
Leif Kullman
