Journal of clinical forensic medicine
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J Clin Forensic Med · Feb 2005
Case ReportsDiagnostic value of "superficial" stab wounds in forensic practice.
Although detailed descriptions of important characteristics of stab wounds can be found in textbooks of forensic medical pathology, this case focuses attention on a relatively exceptional type of such wounds: the "superficial" stab wound. The "superficial" stab wound may be useful for considering and identifying the stabbing weapon which created the wounds; it is suggested a superficial stab wound has a shallow wound cavity which runs almost parallel to the surface of the body, thus showing that the incised angle of the stabbing weapon is acute to the body surface and that additionally its wound cavity shape may reflect the original profile of the weapon.
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J Clin Forensic Med · Oct 2004
Obstetric and gynecologic malpractice in Turkey: incidence, impact, causes and prevention.
The Forensic Medicine Association was established in Turkey by law number 2659 for the purpose of providing expertise in legal cases. In this study the opinions given by the lawcourts and public defenders in the Forensic Medicine Association's First, Second, Third, and Fifth Specialization Divisions between the years 1990 and 2000 (approximately 680,000 files) were examined retrospectively. It was determined from these that there were 636 cases of medical malpractice. ⋯ In 31% (n=33) of the 107 cases fault was found; all of the cases where medical malpractice was found were in the area of obstetrics and none of the cases related to gynecology were found to have an element of error. Cases that had an element of error were evaluated from the aspect of profession of the health care personnel at fault, areas of fault, places where fault occurred, situations that resulted in death, cause of death, whether or not an autopsy was done, injury that resulted from fault, intervention that was done, and obstetric and gynecologic risk factors that set the stage for claims. Care standards and breach of standards were examined.
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J Clin Forensic Med · Oct 2004
Case ReportsEffect of combined exposure to carbon monoxide and cyanides in selected forensic cases.
Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas with potentially lethal action, which forms as a result of incomplete combustion in conditions where there is a lack of oxygen and which, therefore, is present in varying percentages in environments where fire develops. In addition to carbon monoxide, other factors such as cyanide may contribute or might actually be the primary cause of a subject's demise. ⋯ For this reason it is in the interest of forensic medicine to study all lethal cases of exposure to toxic substances originating from fires of various types of materials, in order to determine information regarding kinetic action and the possible strengthening of the effect of the two substances. Two case studies are presented here, in which the results of the toxicological examinations are quite different, and the contributions of CO and HCN in a fire asphyxiation are considered.
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J Clin Forensic Med · Jun 2004
ReviewThe end of life decisions -- should physicians aid their patients in dying?
Decisions pertaining to end of life whether legalized or otherwise, are made in many parts of the world but not reported on account of legal implications. The highly charged debate over voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide was brought into the public arena again when two British doctors confessed to giving lethal doses of drugs to hasten the death of terminally ill patients. ⋯ Debate among the medical practitioners, law makers and the public taking into consideration the cultural, social and religious ethos will lead to increased awareness, more safeguards and improvement of medical decisions concerning the end of life. International Human Rights Law can provide a consensual basis for such a debate on euthanasia.
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J Clin Forensic Med · Apr 2004
A survey on the involvement of accident and emergency doctors in medicolegal work in Hong Kong.
This study reports the results from a questionnaire survey on the pattern of medico-legal work undertaken by doctors working in Accident & Emergency Departments (ED) and their self-evaluation of competency in forensic medicine. A total of 155 questionnaires were returned with a response rate of 46%. Only 30% (46) respondents were fellows of the Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine but 46% (71) had more than 6 years of experience working in the ED. ⋯ It can be seen that respondents were less comfortable in areas like homicide, child abuse and sexual assault. On the job coaching by a senior seems to be the major mode of training. Both fellows (61%) and non-fellows (36%) favored some form of courses with a hands-on workshop element in future.