Journal of forensic and legal medicine
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Skeletal survey is a commonly used means of detecting fractures in infants, and is used as a screen in suspected cases of physical abuse. It is recognised that in live infants, a repeat survey some days after a suspected episode of injury will detect more fractures than one taken shortly after the suspected injury, indicating that the latter lacks sensitivity. In infants who die soon after a suspected episode of physical abuse, the managing clinicians do not have the option of a second survey; however there is the opportunity for the microscopic examination of bones removed at autopsy. Increasingly Osteoarticular Pathology at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) is being sent samples of bones from infants suspected of inflicted injury for histological examination, both from bones with fractures detected at autopsy or skeletal survey and from posterior ribs and long bone metaphyses (sites of significance in assessing for abusive injury) when there is no evidence of fracture on skeletal survey or autopsy. Here we report the results of an audit of the anonymised data from a series of such cases, to establish the sensitivity of skeletal survey (SS) to detect fractures and to define the medico-legal value of submitting bones for histological examination. ⋯ In infants coming to post-mortem, histopathology is more sensitive than SS for the detection of clinically significant fractures. In children suspected of non-accidental injuries but with negative or equivocal SS, sampling of the anterior and posterior end of ribs 5-8 and the bones around the knee for histological examination could reveal clinically unsuspected fractures and significant evidence of physical abuse. 71% of infants showed evidence of old fractures typical of non-accidental injury.
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Novel synthetic opioid overdose deaths have been rising largely worldwide as a result of fentanyl adulteration in the illegal drug supply. Interpretation of post mortem analytical results concerning fentanyl can be challenging in particular due to redistribution phenomena. Lacking of resources, infrastructures and expertise to perform forensic toxicological investigation when an unknown drug or complex mixture of drugs is suspected can affect failure in exactly reporting cause in drug related death. Public safety and public health entities are called working together to enhance the timeliness and accuracy of the analytical characterization and toxicology testing of novel synthetic opioids.