You are present at an autopsy of a 13-year-old male. The deputy coroner informs the forensic pathologist that the decedent, a seventh grader, was walking home from school yesterday at approximately 1530 hours. As he walked by the athletic field, someone at baseball practice hit a ball that struck the decedent in the right temple. He immediately fell to the ground, unconscious. The baseball coach ran to his assistance. Within approximately a minute of the coach's arrival, the young man regained consciousness. The coach told him to lie still, but the boy insisted on getting up, adamantly stating that he was all right. He did stand up, had no apparent difficulty in walking, and proceeded out of the school grounds, the coach watching his progress for about a block. The coach returned to baseball practice, but at approximately 1555, a student came running onto the school grounds. The student indicated that he had seen the boy, who had been struck in the head, fall to the ground about 5 minutes before, and that he was now lying on a street corner, three blocks away, and could not be awakened. The coach cancelled practice, put the student who had reported the incident into his car, and drove to the scene, a deserted area of houses that were vacant in anticipation of freeway construction. The boy who had been struck in the head was indeed unarousable, but was breathing, and had a slow, full pulse. Not having a cell phone, the coach was going to take the boy to a hospital, but for whatever reason said to the student with him, "You don't happen to know where this kid lives do you"? The student replied, "Two doors down from me." The coach asked, "Does his Mom work," to which the student responded "Naw, she sits and watches soap operas everyday." The coach decided to take the boy home, and placed him into his car, along with the student-neighbor. Upon arrival at the house, the Mother did not seem to grasp the potential gravity of the situation. She said, "Well, we'll put some cold compresses on his head, that will probably help." The coach encouraged her to call Emergency Medical Services. She finally agreed to call the pediatrician, who also was not excited about the situation. He said, "Why don't you bring him into the Emergency Department; I'll call ahead and order some tests, and I'll see him after office hours." The coach arrived at a local hospital with the Mother and, her still unconscious, son at 1650. At 1652, the boy suffered respiratory arrest, followed by cardiac arrest, and could not be resuscitated despite aggressive and prolonged efforts. The forensic pathologist loves to teach, and knows you took courses in Forensic Pathology as part of your Masters in Forensic Science degree. He turns to you, and says "Before I open the head and body, based upon the history we just heard, what is the most likely cause of this poor boy's death. What is your best assessment of what happened to him, anatomically and physiologically?"
You are present at an autopsy of a 13-year-old male. The deputy coroner informs the forensic pathologist that the decedent, a seventh grader, was walking home from school yesterday at approximately 1530 hours. As he walked by the athletic field, someone at baseball practice hit a ball that struck the decedent in the right temple. He immediately fell to the ground, unconscious. The baseball coach ran to his assistance. Within approximately a minute of the coach's arrival, the young man regained consciousness. The coach told him to lie still, but the boy insisted on getting up, adamantly stating that he was all right.
He did stand up, had no apparent difficulty in walking, and proceeded out of the school grounds, the coach watching his progress for about a block. The coach returned to baseball practice, but at approximately 1555, a student came running onto the school grounds. The student indicated that he had seen the boy, who had been struck in the head, fall to the ground about 5 minutes before, and that he was now lying on a street corner, three blocks away, and could not be awakened. The coach cancelled practice, put the student who had reported the incident into his car, and drove to the scene, a deserted area of houses that were vacant in anticipation of freeway construction. The boy who had been struck in the head was indeed unarousable, but was breathing, and had a slow, full pulse. Not having a cell phone, the coach was going to take the boy to a hospital, but for whatever reason said to the student with him, "You don't happen to know where this kid lives do you"? The student replied, "Two doors down from me." The coach asked, "Does his Mom work," to which the student responded "Naw, she sits and watches soap operas everyday."
The coach decided to take the boy home, and placed him into his car, along with the student-neighbor. Upon arrival at the house, the Mother did not seem to grasp the potential gravity of the situation. She said, "Well, we'll put some cold compresses on his head, that will probably help." The coach encouraged her to call Emergency Medical Services. She finally agreed to call the pediatrician, who also was not excited about the situation. He said, "Why don't you bring him into the Emergency Department; I'll call ahead and order some tests, and I'll see him after office hours."
The coach arrived at a local hospital with the Mother and, her still unconscious, son at 1650. At 1652, the boy suffered respiratory arrest, followed by cardiac arrest, and could not be resuscitated despite aggressive and prolonged efforts.
The forensic pathologist loves to teach, and knows you took courses in Forensic Pathology as part of your Masters in
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 2 steps
