Smock told doctors to be on the lookout for pattern injuries, which are epithelial imprints of weapons that are consistently reproducible. This occurs when blood beneath the impacting object is pushed out and up. Belts, fly-swatters, shoe soles, ropes, combs and other weapons will leave marks with clear patterns. You may be able to provide police with a description of the weapon based on the shape of contusions or abrasions on the victim's body. These often appear on parts of the body normally protected, such as the inner arm or inner thigh.
Bite marks leave semi-circular contusions or abrasions.
An immersion burn, for example, features a sharp line between burned and unburned tissue. Physicians should be highly suspicious of thermal injuries, particularly when they present in children and the elderly, said Smock. Identifying and documenting domestic violence can lead to apprehension of assailants and prevent future abuse, but Smock said physicians have a poor record of spotting victims. He noted that only 8 percent of physicians report an adequate amount of training in dealing with domestic violence. We need to spend more time on this issue.