Archiwum medycyny sa̧dowej i kryminologii
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Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol · Jan 2011
Review[Methods of carbon monoxide determination in postmortem blood--advantages and disadvantages].
With respect to epidemiology of carbon monoxide poisonings, the diagnostic management of poisonings caused by this xenobiotic is among the fundamental objectives of forensic toxicology. In forensic practice, to determine carbon monoxide, colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods, as well as gas chromatography are used. Based on literature data and their own experience, the authors discuss analytical methods universally applied in determinations of carbon monoxide in postmortem blood. The advantages and disadvantages, as well as the cause of errors resulting from the specificity of the examined material (postmortem blood) are indicated.
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Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol · Jan 2011
[A report of an accident investigation commission as evidence in legal proceedings].
In practice it happens that both a report of an accident investigation commission and court expert's opinions are under consideration during a civil or criminal case. The authors present three groups of problems that are associated with such situations, attempting to provide answers to the problems. The above-mentioned problems may be presented in the following way: may the body of evidence (inside the range of a court case) incorporate expert opinions, which were prepared for an accident investigation commission (if so--may such opinions replace evidence derived from a court expert's opinion); is it legally admissible to use findings of an accident investigation commission as evidential purpose in crime proceedings (if so--what kind of evidence should such findings represent); how should lawyers decide in case of a contradiction between an expert opinion of an accident investigation commission and a court expert's opinion.
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Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol · Jan 2011
[Assessment of exposure to hydrogen cyanide in fire fatalities in the aspects of endogenous hydrogen cyanide production as a result of putrefaction processes in the deceased].
On account of endogenous hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production in the deceased, it is not easy to assess exposure to HCN in people who died in fire involving closed rooms (flats, garages, cellars, etc). In the paper, the authors present the results of blood determinations of hydrogen cyanide in fatalities of explosions and fires occurring in coal-mines, as well as fires in closed rooms. It has been demonstrated that the time of exposure to a high temperature and the temperature itself hamper autolysis processes that lead to production of endogenous HCN in fire fatalities.
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Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol · Jan 2011
[Significance of knowledge about typicality in medico-legal opinionating].
Theoretical assumptions of forensic medicine indicate the necessity of a deeper analysis of opinionating rules, both with reference to the time of the specialty synthesis and its implementation before the court. Misuse of knowledge about typicality creates an especially negative role in this process. Instead of natural science-based facts, common-sense, probabilistic forms appear in the opinions, decreasing the level of aspirations. The opinion loses its advisory character and assumes jurisdictive properties.
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Arch Med Sadowej Kryminol · Jan 2011
[Medico-legal assessment of the injuries of fatal victims of building collapse at Katowice International Fair in Katowice/Chorzów on January 28, 2006].
On January 28, 2006, during an exhibition of carrier pigeons, the roof of one of the buildings at Katowice International Fair collapsed. At the time of accident, there were 700 people in the building--65 died and 171 were injured. It was the biggest building disaster in the history of modern Poland. ⋯ Additionally, the bodies were identified by families. The post-mortem procedures eventually allowed for establishing the cause of death of all the victims. The authors emphasize the range of necessary medico-legal procedures and examinations that should be carried out in a Department of Forensic Medicine in case of a building collapse with a large number of fatalities in order to determine the type of injuries, cause and mechanism of death and to identify the deceased.