The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2016
Review Case ReportsTraumatic Brain Injury Due to Screwdriver Assaults: Literature Review and Case Report.
Penetrating head injuries due to the use of screwdrivers as wounding agents in acts of interpersonal violence seldom occur. The aim of this article is to update and summarize the relevant literature on penetrating craniocerebral screwdriver stab wounds and to report a new case of screwdriver assault. ⋯ Craniocerebral screwdriver injuries are mainly cases of interpersonal violence and the mortality rate is approximately 47.6%. In 23.8% of the incidents, the trauma is overlooked on admission because of the small entry wound and, thus, the severity of the injury is not initially appreciated.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2016
Case ReportsNeisseria meningitidis Isolated in Postmortem Vitreous Humor in a Death Due to Meningococcal Sepsis.
Sepsis remains a difficult diagnosis at autopsy. With respect to meningococcal sepsis, a timely and definite diagnosis is critical because it requires public health department notification and the administration of prophylactic antibiotics to potential close contacts. ⋯ We describe a fatal case of meningococcal sepsis where Neisseria meningitidis was detected in both vitreous humor and blood polymerase chain reaction, in addition to positive blood cultures. This gives further support to using microbiology of vitreous humor in suspected meningococcal sepsis, especially when microbiology samples are limited.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2016
Examination of Ricochet Gunshot Wounds From Commonly Encountered Surfaces.
Proper interpretation of gunshot wounds is vital for the forensic pathologist and requires experience and expertise, as well as consultation with a firearms and ballistics expert and careful scene investigation in cases of atypical gunshot wounds. This study is the first large-series examining ricochet gunshot wounds involving different firearm calibers. ⋯ Examination of over 150 handgun and rifle entrance wounds established that every caliber and every ricochet surface resulted in atypical features, including irregularity in size or shape, lack of marginal abrasion, or other injuries on the surrounding skin. The most significant factor influencing the variability of the ricochet wounds was the surface the bullet deflected off before striking the body.