units

FOR5011

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 22 November 2024
Monash University

Postgraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitVictorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
OfferedSouthbank Second semester 2014 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)Dr Jennifer 'Anne' Smith

Quota applies

This unit is quota restricted. Selection is on a first-in, first enrolled basis. For further information please contact the Postgraduate Course Administrator via email postgrad.courses@vifm.org or phone 03 9684 4115.

Synopsis

Advanced issues in non-accidental injury of children aims to provide an opportunity for students to study the epidemiology and frameworks for evaluation of children when serious and/or complex non-accidental injury is suspected. This unit will enable students to study the theories around injury causation with a focus on complex head injury and other life threatening injuries in children. Clinical findings, patho-physiology and investigation results will be studied. Students will explore controversies surrounding the evaluation of complex injury including shaking injury.

Major Content:

  • Abusive head trauma in infants (impact, acceleration-deceleration and shaking injury, asphyxia, hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, intracranial bleeding, skull fracture)
  • Eye injuries
  • Neck injuries
  • Poisoning / Toxicology
  • Fatal child abuse (homicide and fatal neglect)
  • Fabricated or Induced Illness by Carers (FIIC)

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit a student will be expected to have acquired the knowledge and skill sets to:

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of inflicted neural and ocular trauma in childhood.
  2. Identify the key procedures and issues of child death investigations.
  3. Discuss factitious illnesses in childhood with particular reference to the medico-legal issues.
  4. Demonstrate an understanding of toxicology as it applies to a paediatric population.
  5. Identify and discuss theories of causation, current controversies and areas of uncertainty in the field of non-accidental injury of childhood.

Assessment

Case study: critical analysis of forensic principles and procedures using case based discussion 25%
Case study: reflection on decision-making in clinical practice 30%
Essay (3000 words) 35%
Oral presentation (15 minute) 10%
Group discussion (hurdle requirement)

Chief examiner(s)

A/Professor David Wells and Dr Jennifer 'Anne' Smith

Off-campus attendance requirements

Compulsory 2 day workshop

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Forensic medicine

Prerequisites

FOR4006

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

postgrad.courses@vifm.org