Journal of forensic and legal medicine最新文献

{"title":"Forensic toxicological studies of acute glufosinate poisoning: A case series","authors":"Shuang Zhao ,&nbsp;Li Xiao ,&nbsp;Yimin Sun ,&nbsp;Zihan Jiang ,&nbsp;Lin Yang ,&nbsp;Jing Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Ye","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Glufosinate is a widely and increasingly used non-selective, broad-spectrum herbicide. Although cases of glufosinate poisoning are frequently reported, they are rarely documented in forensic case reports, particularly in fatal instances. The present study examined six cases of glufosinate poisoning, including a fatal case involving a 25-year-old female found deceased by the roadside, with an empty 1000 mL bottle labeled \"glufosinate\" by her side. Biological specimens such as plasma or cardiac blood, gastric contents, and liver tissues were collected for quantitative analysis of glufosinate levels using LC-MS/MS. In five cases of acute glufosinate poisoning, glufosinate plasma concentrations ranged from 0.62 to 3.92 μg/mL. In the fatal case, the concentrations of glufosinate in cardiac blood, gastric contents, and liver tissues were 8.41 μg/mL, 31.25 μg/mL, and 66.1 μg/g, respectively. The pathological autopsy concluded that the cause of death was acute cardio-respiratory failure due to glufosinate poisoning, characterized by multi-organ congestion without specific pathological findings. The toxicological data provided in this study aim to serve as a critical reference for future clinical treatment and forensic validation of glufosinate poisoning-related deaths.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102732"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141877023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Viral infection and sudden non-cardiac death: A systematic review","authors":"Francisco Pereira Cordeiro ,&nbsp;Laura Cainé","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><p>Sudden non-cardiac death (SNCD) is a clinical entity comprising deaths lacking previous clinically significant symptoms, and in which the mechanisms of death do not involve the heart. Infection is a major cause of SNCD, particularly in children, and viruses are frequently involved in the disease process. Nevertheless, SNCD of viral infectious causes remains poorly characterized. Thus, a systematic review of the literature describing the association between viral infection and the development of SNCD was performed.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>PRISMA statement guidelines were followed in this systematic review. A literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Studies considered eligible were autopsy series or cohort studies of sudden death cases, in which evidence of viral disease as a cause of death was demonstrated, along with identification of causative agents.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Twelve studies published between 1996 and 2020 were included in this review. Selected studies were categorized into three groups according to the study population: infants and young children (up to four years of age); presumed sudden infant death syndrome patients; and older individuals (five years of age and older). SNCD with viral implication represents a minority of sudden death cases in all age groups, with infants and young children having a higher prevalence across studies. Respiratory infection was the main cause of viral SNCD, with <em>influenza</em> virus and <em>respiratory syncytial virus</em> being the most commonly identified agents in older individuals, and infants and young children respectively. Disseminated infection, gastrointestinal infection, and meningitis were other identified causes of SNCD in children.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>No studies have directly assessed the frequency and causes of viral SNCD. Infants and young children show a considerable, but variable, prevalence of this clinical entity. Wider implementation of post-mortem virological molecular testing may help uncover previously unknown cases. More research into viral SNCD is needed, especially in the adult population.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102727"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141877025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethanol concentrations in various biological specimens: Living and postmortem forensic toxicology analysis and comprehensive literature review","authors":"Sahar Y. Issa ,&nbsp;Amr Khattab","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alcohol use upsurges the risk for many chronic ill-health consequences such as hepatitis, malignancies, and disastrous outcomes like road traffic accidents ending in fatal injuries. Biochemical and toxicological analysis of different body fluids is crucial for identifying the cause of death and postmortem interval in many forensic cases. Blood, urine, and vitreous fluid are the most valuable body fluids for detecting alcohol during any toxicological analysis. Alcohol is responsible for widespread morbidity and mortality worldwide. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a necessary toxicological test to investigate various crime and accident scenes. This study comprehensively explores the demographic characteristics, BAC distribution, and correlations of alcohol concentrations in postmortem and living cases. Postmortem cases (N = 166) reveal intriguing demographic patterns, with notable variations in year distribution, nationality, sex, age groups, occupation, smoking habits, place of death, and psychiatric history. Living cases (N = 483) exhibit distinct demographic profiles, emphasizing differences in year distribution, nationality, sex, age groups, and smoking habits.</p><p>Analysis of BAC distribution reveals diverse patterns in both postmortem and living cases, providing valuable insights into the prevalence of different BAC levels in each group. Correlation analyses unveil strong associations between alcohol concentrations in various biological samples in postmortem cases, highlighting the interdependence of blood, vitreous, and urine alcohol concentrations. Conversely, living cases display a moderate positive correlation between blood and urine alcohol concentrations.</p><p>Comparative analyses showcase significant differences in mean alcohol concentrations between postmortem and living cases, suggesting variations in alcohol metabolism and distribution. These findings underscore the importance of considering temporal factors in interpreting alcohol concentrations in forensic and clinical contexts.</p><p>In conclusion, this study enhances our understanding of alcohol-related incidents by delineating demographic profiles, BAC distributions, and correlations between different biological samples. Such insights are crucial for refining investigative and clinical approaches, contributing to the broader fields of forensic science and public health.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102737"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142038050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reflective writing an assessment strategy for post-mortem observational activity in medical students","authors":"Sanjay Gupta ,&nbsp;Utsav Parekh ,&nbsp;Daideepya Chandra Bhargava","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102733","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102733"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141877024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trigeminal nerve injuries following dental procedures: A retrospective analysis of malpractice claims from 2016 to 2023 in South Korea","authors":"Min Ji Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102730","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102730","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Dental malpractice claims, which pertain to legal actions against dentists accused of clinical negligence that caused harm to patients, have increased in the past ten years in South Korea. The claims are caused by complications, particularly trigeminal nerve injuries, resulting from various dental procedures. Medicolegal issues related to trigeminal nerve injury have not been previously described in South Korea. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to identify the general, dental, and judicial characteristics of closed dental malpractice claims.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>This study was designed as a descriptive study. We collected the data of 51 closed claims related to trigeminal nerve injury resulting from dental procedures such as dental implant emplacement, tooth extraction, and local anesthesia. The claims were decided by courts in South Korea between 2016 and 2023. The general, dental, and judicial characteristics of the claims were analyzed retrospectively.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The average claim resolution period was 4.2 (range: 1.47–8.39) years post-adverse events that occurred more frequently in dental clinics (68.6 %) than in dental (25.5 %) or general hospitals (5.9 %). Inferior alveolar (66.7 %) and lingual (17.6 %) nerves were injured following dental procedures. The duty to inform was breached in 68.6 % of claims. The dental procedure performed (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and the injured nerve (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) were associated with the violation of the duty to care.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>To improve the quality of dental care services, the analysis of the adverse events using various resources including judgments should be strongly addressed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102730"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141977512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"3D printing and CBCT anatomical reproducibility assessment in forensic scenarios","authors":"Rebeca Queiroz-Fontes ,&nbsp;Patricia Ribeiro ,&nbsp;Tiago Nunes ,&nbsp;André Nogueira ,&nbsp;Jeidson Marques ,&nbsp;Ana Corte-Real","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><p>The scientific community highlighted the relevance of 3D physical models since the beginning of the XXI century, complementary to three-dimensional(3D) digital volume by computer tomography, to support court discussions on medico-legal issues. The recreation of 3D evidence can be an important tool for investigators and experts, providing a better understanding of the causes and circumstances of the events involved in a crime.</p></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><p>The present study aims to assess the reproducibility of 3D printed and 3D tomographic volumes generated from mandibles following simulated forensic injuries, highlighting the recreation of crime tools.</p></div><div><h3>Material and methods</h3><p>Concerning the study design presented, data collection was performed in three phases. Nine simulated injuries of forensic interest were selected (phase1) and all the mandibles were scanned tomographically, individually, by Cone Beam Computed Tomography CBCT (phase 2). Then, in phase 3, the DICOM images were used for 3D printing with the Ender 3® printer by the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique. The data analysis followed two procedures: the comparison between the artificial mandible and 3D tomographic volume (AT) and the comparison between the artificial mandible and 3D printed volume, or the copy (AC). Data were analyzed using T-Student and ICC tests and presented in Bland-Altman plots.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The analogic technique applied in 3D printed volume, when compared with computerized technique, using 3D digital images and measurement, showed to be accurate and reproducible. Further studies are needed in search of standardization for three-dimensional measurements in digitized and printed volumes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102719"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141842799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alcohol use, civilian interference, and other possible risk factors for death during restraint","authors":"Eeva Puittinen,&nbsp;Riitta Haukilahti,&nbsp;Katarina Lindroos","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Physical restraint is usually used when trying to control and terminate a violent episode. Many causes are possible behind aggressive, agitated, and violent behavior. Some of these are such factors that can either be detected in forensic autopsies or can be evident from the person's medical records. Various causes for deaths during physical restraint have been suggested.</p><p>In this study, we wanted to review all incidents in which physical restraint was employed, ending in death of the restrained person, whether the restraint was applied by police officers, security guards, police custody personnel, health care personnel or ordinary civilians. The main aim was to see if this new kind of study design would increase our knowledge in circumstances and causes leading to death in restraint situations.</p><p>Data was collected retrospectively from all forensic autopsies performed in the Southern Finland area during 2010–2015. We went through 21,036 forensic autopsy cases and found 12 cases (0.06 %) in which a physical restraint was employed before death. Police officers were involved in the physical restraint in 7/12 of the cases: in two of these cases, police alone; in three cases, police and guards; and in two cases, police and health care personnel. Civilians carried out the restraint in 5/12 cases. With civilians responsible for the restraint, the cause of death was more likely considered to be a result of the restraint itself than in cases where police and other authorities were responsible for the restraint. This could be because civilians aren't educated about safe restraint methods, and they might themselves be intoxicated. Alcohol was the most common psychoactive substance found in this study and could be a risk factor for not only aggressive behavior but also death, since alcohol use can provoke cardiac arrhythmias and even sudden death. Based on this study, and previously published studies, we see restraint deaths as a varying spectrum of deaths, in which the death is often possibly a result of many factors, including the effects of agitation and restraint, intoxication, and cardiac and other illnesses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102728"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X24000908/pdfft?md5=36d3fa5b6bd7c53876bd37a8ecc4e987&pid=1-s2.0-S1752928X24000908-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141877022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forensic case reports of Dermestes maculatus (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) in Santa Catarina state, Southern Brazil","authors":"Victor Wilson Botteon,&nbsp;Anderson Gaedke,&nbsp;Victor Michelon Alves","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Only a few cases describing the activity of dermestids on human corpses have been reported in the literature<em>. Dermestes maculatus</em> is a cosmopolitan beetle associated with carcasses at different decomposition stages, usually colonizing skeletonized and mummified remains. In this study, we presented two forensic case reports of <em>D</em>. <em>maculatus</em> associated with human corpses in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. In the first case, a human corpse in an advanced stage of decomposition was found hanged in an outdoor urban area. In the other one, a mummified cadaver was found inside of a closed house. In this last case, larvae of <em>D. maculatus</em> were essential to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMI) for the first time in Scientific Police of Santa Catarina. Our records highlight the significance of necrophagous beetles in ecological succession and in estimating PMI in cases involving human remains and corpses in advanced stage of decomposition.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102735"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141914944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between forensic medicine education, stress factors, and mobbing perception from the perspective of specialists in Turkey's universities","authors":"Cemil Çelik ,&nbsp;Uğur Ata ,&nbsp;Murat Kamalak ,&nbsp;Naile Esra Saka","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><p>The current situation needs to be presented with scientific data to ensure and improve the quality of specialist training. This study examined the quality of education, instructor competence, stress factors, mobbing, and their interconnections in the domain of forensic medicine specialty education in Turkey.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><p>This cross-sectional study was conducted through an anonymous, web-based survey targeting forensic medicine specialists who have completed their specialist training in university forensic medicine departments within the last three years. The survey consisted of questions regarding issues included in the core education curriculum, educator characteristics, and perceptions of stress and mobbing. Based on the responses provided, the relationships between these factors were statistically analysed.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>72.7 % of the study population completed the survey. Nearly half of the participants (46.3 %) did not consider the number of instructors adequate. The quality of instructors (scientific competence, educational and teaching skills, interpersonal relations, accessibility, management, and problem-solving abilities) was determined to be partially sufficient (mean = 3.36). Approximately one-third of the respondents indicated that instructors made the greatest contribution to their specialist training, whereas the proportion of those who said otherwise was much higher. Education received for topics included in the core curriculum was partially sufficient level (mean = 3.04). It was observed that there was a significant relationship between the instructor characteristics, sufficiency score of the taught topics, and perception of mobbing (p &lt; 0.01). The sufficiency scores of instructor characteristics had a 1.02-fold impact on sufficiency ratings of the topics covered in residency training. Among the respondents, 76.9 % reported encountering stress factors during their specialty training, with the most frequently exposed stress factor (52.2 %) being disorganisation within the training program. Among the participants, 22.8 % reported experiencing mobbing.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Education and instructor qualifications were correlated; however, stress factors and mobbing adversely affected education. A close association was observed between education, instructors, stressors, and mobbing. Thus independent and objective auditors tasked with verifying whether institutions meet the established educational standards need to be established.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102729"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141964392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forensic medical examination after conflict-related sexual violence: A scoping review of the literature","authors":"Elena Rubini ,&nbsp;Martina Valente ,&nbsp;Giulia Sguazzi ,&nbsp;Monica Trentin ,&nbsp;Luca Ragazzoni ,&nbsp;Sarah Gino","doi":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is a form of gender-based violence and a violation of human rights. Forensic medical examination of victims of CRSV can be performed for the clinical and forensic management of patients or as part of the medical affidavit in judicial protection procedures. The aim of this scoping review was to summarize the knowledge on the forensic medical examination of survivors of CRSV by analyzing what types of violence were described by survivors, as well as the outcome of medical examination and evaluation of the degree of consistency, and of protection procedures. After the screening process, 17 articles published between January 1st, 2013, and April 3rd, 2023, on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were eligible for inclusion. The findings of our review confirm that literature addressing forensic medical examination of victims of CRSV is scarce, as well as studies describing physicians’ opinion on the consistency of the findings and protection outcomes. Trained and experienced professionals are needed in order to document human rights violations, including CRSV-specific lesions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16098,"journal":{"name":"Journal of forensic and legal medicine","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 102736"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X24000982/pdfft?md5=f89cd6eab48290cbfec8b0b389030322&pid=1-s2.0-S1752928X24000982-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}