Journal of forensic and legal medicine
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In this retrospective autopsy study fire-related deaths whose autopsies were carried out in the Council of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey were analyzed in order to evaluate the relationship between the mode of the death and the laboratory and autopsy findings. There were 320 fire-related fatalities constituting the 2.07% of all autopsy cases of that period. Of the 320 cases 228 (71.3%) were males and 91 (28.4%) were females, average age in age-determined group was 36.6 (SD: 21.98) ranging from 8 months to 98 years. ⋯ Accidents constituted the majority of the cases in our autopsy population with a frequency of 51.9%. The relationship between the presence of soot in trachea or esophagus and the mode of death and that of CO-Hb and the mode of death was statistically significant. The internal findings and laboratory data of the study population were discussed particularly on the basis of the decision of vitality in burned cases.
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This retrospective study evaluated 41 cases of child deaths child deaths of both sexes from family violence and autopsied at Mansoura Morgue of Forensic Medicine Institute from 1996 to 2005. According to their ages, children were divided into four groups as follow: <3 years; 3-6 years; 6-9 years and 9-12 years. Some socio-demographic parameters concerning the perpetrators were investigated such as level of education of fathers, parent marital status and residence. ⋯ The marital status of those parents were as follows: separated couples (51.2%), still married couples (22.0%); fathers with multiple wives (26.8%). Blunt trauma in abusive manner was the most common form (63.4%). It was concluded that some socio-demographic parameters are considered risk factors related to intrafamilial violence and it should be considered by Family Planning Programs to estimate the magnitude of this problem in our community on a large scale, offering psychological assessment and assurance for risky perpetrators aiming to prevent such fatal child abuse crimes.
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We report a case with an atypical entrance wound as a result of a destabilized full metal jacket bullet penetration. The destabilized bullet by an impact with the dorsal hand experiences a yawing to tumbling motion in flight. ⋯ Forensic pathologists have to be aware that the metal jacket bullet could tend to break up outside or inside the body particularly after a shooting through a target. This phenomenon induces atypical entrance wounds and atypical X-ray presentation.
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Case Reports
Three-dimensional reconstitution of bullet trajectory in gunshot wounds: a case report.
In the medico-legal assessment of cases of aggression with firearms, imaging techniques have a particularly important role, especially in the study of a bullet's path through the victim's body. The analysis of these trajectories can be performed by the use of three-dimensional reconstitution techniques, namely Three-Dimensional Multi-Slice Computed Tomography (3D-MSCT). ⋯ The authors present a case of a man with a gunshot injury, in the context of a multiple aggressor situation, in which it was not possible to extract the bullet. To accurately determine the bullet's trajectory, 3D-MSCT was performed, thus contributing to a more reliable reconstruction of the crime scene in which the victim and the suspects were located.
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It is important for forensic pathologists to determine the diagnosis of drowning as well as the site of drowning. In a previous study, we propose that analysis of electrolytes in pleural effusion from rats may be useful for determining whether drowning has occurred in seawater or freshwater. ⋯ The concentration of potassium ions and total protein showed no difference between each group, although they increased in proportion to the postmortem interval in cases of both seawater and freshwater drowning. These results are almost same as our previous study and, thus, the quantitative analysis of electrolytes in pleural effusion may be useful for determining whether drowning has occurred in seawater or freshwater.