Course Objectives: The application of medical knowledge to legal problems and legal proceedings in personal injuries cases and in cases of sudden or violent death.

Course Contents: Definition of Forensic Medicine. Medical certificates and medico-legal reports. Death: a) Definition, types; somatic, cellular and brain death, b) Sudden natural and unnatural deaths. Changes after death: a) Immediate changes, body cooling, lividity, rigor mortis, cadaveric spasm b) Putrefaction, mummification, adipocere formation, c) Postmortem artifacts. Identification: a) Definition, b) Identification of unknown individuals, dead bodies and remains. Medico-legal autopsies: a) Definition of medico-legal autopsy, b) Objectives, procedures, formalities of medico-legal autopsy. Mechanical injuries/wounds: a) Definition, classification of mechanical injuries; blunt force, sharp force and firearm injuries, b) Medico-legal aspects of injuries, differences between ante-mortem and post-mortem injuries, age estimation of wounds, defense injuries, hesitation cuts; c) suicidal/accidental/homicidal injuries; causes of death by mechanical injuries. Regional injuries to the: Head, Neck, Thorax, Abdomen, Pelvis, Genitalia, Vertebral column and Bones. Injuries due to physical agents – medico-legal importance: cold, heat, electricity and lightning, explosions. Asphyxia deaths: Definition, causes, types and medico-legal significance. Death due to starvation. Sexual Offences: Virginity, rape, unnatural sexual offences; sexual perversions. Infant and childhood deaths: Viability, age determination of foetus, live birth, still birth and dead born neonate, sudden infant death syndrome, child abuse, medico-legal aspects of precipitate labour. Principles of Forensic Toxicology. Medico-legal autopsy in poisoning, preservation and dispatch of body fluids and viscera for chemical analysis. Types, diagnosis and medico-legal aspects of poisons. General principles of Forensic Histopathology. General principles of Forensic Anthropology.

Teaching method and Learning Outcomes: The course covers both lectures and practice in the mortuary. Medical students will attain theoretical and practical knowledge in both the fields of Anatomic Pathology and Forensic Medicine in order to comprehend the mechanism, cause and manner of death.

Ηours of training per student: 50

Year of education: 6th

ECTS: 4