The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Jun 2005
Case ReportsA suicide using a homemade carbon monoxide "death machine".
Deaths related to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning are common. Most represent accidents and suicides, and most result from CO production via the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances. Suicide via CO toxicity is not uncommon and typically involves the use of motor-vehicle exhaust as a source of CO. Presented herein is a case of suicidal CO poisoning in which the CO was produced via a chemical reaction between formic acid and sulfuric acid within a homemade device.
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Violence is a significant public health problem. Thus, so as to prevent this problem, homicide, the severest form of violence depriving a human being of his right to live, deserves a detailed examination. This study is a retrospective research examining the 2951 cases of medicolegal autopsies in Adana during a period of 5 years (1997-2001). ⋯ It was seen that 54.83% of the homicides involved firearms, while 35.16% of the victims were stabbed to death with a cutting object. It was also determined that the victims suffered a single wound in 47.35% of firearm-related murders and 29.35% of stabbings resulted in death. Alcohol was found in the blood of 7.58% of the homicide victims, while none had any illicit drugs.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Jun 2005
Case ReportsSelf-inflicted penetrating head injury in a patient with manic-depressive disorder.
A 32-year-old Caucasian male with a history of repeated self-injury drilled a hole in his skull using a power tool and subsequently introduced intracerebrally a binding wire from a sketch pad. An emergency craniotomy was performed around the site of cranial injury, and the foreign body was carefully extracted. ⋯ This is a rare case of unusual and complex repetitive self-destructive behavior without apparent suicidal intent. The pertinent literature is reviewed and the surgical and psychiatric implications of such injuries are discussed.
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Elder abuse was first described almost 30 years ago. Today, approximately 1 in 25 elders is abused each year in the United States. A newly described form of domestic violence, the incidence of elder abuse will surely increase as the elderly population grows. ⋯ The accumulation of blood slowly impinges on the pharynx/larynx and vasculature structures. The exact injuries and etiology of the hemorrhage must be determined to distinguish strangulation from blunt force trauma. The presentation of signs and symptoms can be helpful in assessing the decedent; however, in the practice of forensic pathology such a history is more often lacking.