South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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The death of a young person is most often a tragic occurrence, more so when this death was unexpected. Forensic pathologists are mandated to investigate such deaths, and there has been a strong move internationally towards genetic testing as an additional investigative tool. The aim of our article is to bring the advantage of implementing the so-called molecular autopsy in a local setting to the attention of medical practitioners. When a multidisciplinary approach is taken in cases of sudden unexpected death, the benefits to family members, and society as a whole, are irrefutable.
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Wound infections following cytotoxic snakebites are common. Bites from Naja nigricincta nigricincta (an African spitting cobra) usually present as severe dermonecrosis spreading within the subdermal fascia layer. ⋯ We report the case of a 2½-year-old boy who presented with infective (Proteus vulgaris) necrotising fasciitis after an N. n. nigricincta bite, resulting in multiple-organ failure and death. A P. vulgaris with the same antibiotic profile was cultured from the mouth of the snake.
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Erratum.