Paper
Sunday, November 4, 2007
238
Estimating the Age of Bruises in Victims of Violence: Is There Evidence to Support This Practice?
Katherine R. Nash, MSN, RN, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| Learning Objective #1: identify and analyze existing research on dating bruises. |
| Learning Objective #2: demonstrate current and future research application and its effect on nursing practice. |
Forensic nurses and other health professionals are frequently requested by law enforcement and attorneys to assess victims of violence determining the age of their injuries. One of the most common types of injuries observed in victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and elder abuse are bruises. Histologic and histochemical analysis of bruises is invasive and impractical for live victims. The most convenient method for healthcare professionals is the direct visualization of bruise color. Discoloration of bruises provides temptation for health professionals to estimate the age of impact and determine if it correlates with a given history. However, this technique is fraught with issues. This presentation will provide a literature synthesis and critique of available research regarding the dating of bruises by color in humans and the subjectivity of color perception. Recommendations will be made for future research involving objective means of color measurement and use of diverse study populations. Clinical implications will also be addressed.