Post-Mortem CT: Burned Bodies

• Approver: AHRA®
• ARRT®: Accepted
• Expiration Date: 11/30/24
• Credit Hours: 1 Category A Credit

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Course Acceptance List

• ARRT: Accepted
• NMTCB: Accepted
• Florida: Cat A / Technical
• Texas: Direct

Objectives

• How CT is used to find features permitting the identification of a severely burned body
• Understand how CT is used to recognize accessible blood for tests versus heat clots
• Learn how to properly identify heat related fractures versus traumatic fractures

Course Description

This course will show how post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) has become an accessible and contemporary tool for forensic investigations. In the case of burn victims, it provides specific semiologies requiring a knowledgeable understanding to differentiate between the normal post-mortem changes from heat-related changes. Learn how to use CT to differentiate between heat-related fractures and traumatic fractures and how CT is used to find features that allow identification of severely burned bodies. You will also learn how CT is used to find biological fluids in liquid form available for toxicological analysis and DNA sampling. PMCT is also a great tool used in burn victim cases to find other causes of death other than head-related lesions, such as metallic foreign bodies of ballistic origin.