Pathology and its relationship to bloodstain pattern analysis

Pathology and Its Relationship to Bloodstrain Pattern Analysis Author’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Code and Name Professor’s Name Date Pathology and Its Relationship to Bloodstrain Pattern Analysis Introduction For forensic experts, pathology of a disease is vital as it provides them with information about the nature of the cause of a crime in crime scene. It is a branch of medicine that helps give an understanding the causes of bloodstains to be either caused by a disease or traumatic event. By utilizing pathology in forensic investigation, forensic experts by forensic investigators. In other words, pathology provides forensic experts with the knowledge and understanding of the underlying causes of bloodstains in bloodletting scenes. Blood stains at the bloodletting scene provide forensic investigators and experts helpful information and essential hints of what exactly transpired after examining and analyzing various blood stains. Investigators use and examine transfer stains by carefully locating possible points of contact and chronology of events that took place between surfaces and people. Therefore, one of the first steps in an investigation is to determine whether the bleeding is due to injury or a medical condition. In cases of death, this determination is typically made through an autopsy examination of the body. Forensic experts used blood pattern analysis to gather information about the events that took place at a crime scene by leveraging the study of distribution patterns of bloodstains at a crime scene. In forensic investigations, distinguishing between impact spatter stain patterns and bloodstains caused by human expiration (blood from the nose, mouth and lungs) is imperative. Expirated bloodstain patterns can appear disorganized and represent low, medium, and high-velocity stains. The various patterns observed in the bloodstains can be attributed to the different forces that propel the blood from the nose or mouth. Additionally, suppose the victim remains in one location. In light of this, the paper delves into exploring the concepts of bloodstain patterns and their importance in forensic analysis, especially on the external loss of blood that can be observed at the scene due to disease and injury. Bloodstain Patterns There are several different types of blood stains that forensic experts analyze at a bloodletting scene. These bloodstains can provide important information about the events that occurred. Passive stains: Passive stains are created by blood that drips, flows, or pools as a result of gravity. These stains are typically found underneath the source of blood and can provide information about the position of the victim [2]. Transfer stains: Transfer stains occur when a wet, bloody surface comes into contact with another surface, leaving a recognizable impression or pattern. This can happen when an individual touches a bloody surface and then touches another surface, leaving behind a transfer of blood. Examples of this are contact patterns, wipe patterns, and insect stains [2]. Projected/Impact Spatter: Impact spatter is created when a force is applied to a blood source, such as a beating or gunshot wound. It results when the blood is dispersed in various directions, creating a characteristic spatter pattern. The size shape and distribution of the spatter can provide insights into the type of impact and the angle in which it occurred. Examples of these types of patterns are arterial spurting, cast-off pattern, spatter stain, expiration pattern, spine pattern, void pattern, and perimeter stain [2]. Examining blood patterns can provide valuable insights into the nature and circumstances of a blood-shedding event, including what happened, where it occurred, and how it occurred. To analyze these patterns effectively, it is essential to understand the underlying causes of bleeding [1]. Passive and Transfer Stains Blood stains at the bloodletting scene provide forensic investigators and experts helpful information and essential hints of what exactly transpired after examining and analyzing various blood stains [21]. The analysis of the blood stains at the scene of bloodletting provides forensic investigators with mute witnesses and priceless details of what exactly happened at the scene, regardless of the timeline [22]. The natural blood flow usually causes passive stains in the scene due to gravity. Such flow of blood caused it to gather beneath a site of the scene, which provides helpful information about where the victim was during the occurrence of the traumatic event [24]. The information on how the victim was positioned moved during the traumatic event can be provide to forensic investigators the form and location of the passive stains. Furthermore, the saturation of the passive stain can also give the severity and how long the bleeding took place [25]. The transfer stain shows a noticeable imprint or pattern when a bleeding surface comes in contact with a moist surface. It occurs when a person with blood touches another surface that has been stained by the blood of the victim hence spreading the blood [26]. Blood transfer patterns are of several types, including touch patterns, wipe patterns, and insect stains. Investigators use and examine transfer stains by carefully locating possible points of contact and chronology of events that took place between surfaces and people [27]. Additionally, they use properties of transfer stains such as transfer directionality and impression clarity to get insight of the dynamics of the contact. Examining blood patterns can provide valuable insights into the nature and circumstances of a blood-shedding event, including what happened, where it occurred, and how it occurred. Disease and Bloodstain Proliferation It is crucial to recognize that not all bleeding is a result of injury; some may be caused by diseases. Therefore, one of the first steps in an investigation is to determine whether the bleeding is due to injury or a medical condition. In cases of death, this determination is typically made through an autopsy examination of the body. However, autopsies are often conducted days after the incident, and typically, immediate answers are needed while still at the scene of an investigation [28]. Therefore, decisions regarding the involvement of bloodstain pattern analysts and other specialists must be made based on the initial determination of whether the person was injured or experienced a natural disease occurrence. This is where the educated and highly experienced bloodstain pattern analyst must use their knowledge and expertise to determine if their crime scene is a crime scene at all [1]. There do exist, many known diseases that can be responsible for bloodletting to varying degrees. Take varicose veins and venous insufficiency for example. These are two of the most common diseases in our population [3]. It is also known that “hemorrhage from rupture of varicose veins in the legs is rare and can lead to sudden death” [3]. “Generally, chronic venous insufficiency is not fatal; however, if the rupture of varicose veins is followed by massive venous hemorrhage and by inadequate bandaging, it can lead to death” [3]. The initial documentation of deaths caused by acute bleeding from ruptured peripheral varicose veins can be traced back to the 1970s. There are two primary categories of bleeding ulcers that have been identified. The first category involves acute perforated ulcers characterized by small superficial lesions, along with nearby pigmentation and intact healthy skin. The second category is comprised of chronic ulcerative ulcers. Following the i...