International journal of legal medicine
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In modern medico-legal literature, only a small number of publications deal with fatal injuries from black powder guns. Most of them focus on the morphological features such as intense soot soiling, blast tattooing and burn effects in close-range shots or describe the wound ballistics of spherical lead bullets. Another kind of "unusual" and potentially lethal weapons are handguns destined for firing only blank cartridges such as starter and alarm pistols. ⋯ As there was no exit wound and no bullet lodged in the body, the injury was caused exclusively by the inrushing combustion gases of the propellant (black powder) comparable with the gas jet of a blank cartridge gun. In contact shots to ballistic gelatine using the suicide's pistol loaded with black powder but no projectile, the formation of a nearly spherical cavity could be demonstrated by means of a high-speed camera. The extent of the temporary cavity after firing with 5 g of black powder roughly corresponded to the zone of destruction found in the suicide's body.
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Comparative Study
Greater thickness of the aortic wall on postmortem computed tomography compared with antemortem computed tomography: the first longitudinal study.
To evaluate postmortem changes of the aorta on postmortem computed tomography (CT) in comparison with those on antemortem CT obtained in the same patients. ⋯ This is the first longitudinal study to confirm greater thickness of the aortic wall on postmortem images compared with antemortem images in the same patients and to show no change in cross-sectional area of the aortic wall between before and after death.
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The aim of this study is to assess the accuracy of postmortem CT (PMCT) in determining the cause of death in children who underwent a forensic autopsy because of a suspected nonnatural death. ⋯ • The case mix is an important predictor for the concordance between PMCT and autopsy. • In case of an unnatural death, 72--81% of PMCT results matches autopsy results. • In case of a natural death, 0% of PMCT results matches autopsy results. • If no cause of death is identified with autopsy, 98% of PMCT results concurs.
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Metformin is an oral antihyperglycemic agent used in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lactic acidosis from metformin overdose is a rare complication of metformin therapy and occurs infrequently with therapeutic use. Fatal cases, both accidental and intentional, are extremely rare in clinical practice. ⋯ Death was attributed to lactic acidosis due to metformin intoxication. Increased plasma concentrations of the drug were attributed to severely impaired renal function. The case emphasizes the usefulness of performing exhaustive toxicology and postmortem biochemistry towards the more complete understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms that may be involved in the death process.