The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2016
Review Case ReportsTraumatic Brain Injury Due to Screwdriver Assaults: Literature Review and Case Report.
Penetrating head injuries due to the use of screwdrivers as wounding agents in acts of interpersonal violence seldom occur. The aim of this article is to update and summarize the relevant literature on penetrating craniocerebral screwdriver stab wounds and to report a new case of screwdriver assault. ⋯ Craniocerebral screwdriver injuries are mainly cases of interpersonal violence and the mortality rate is approximately 47.6%. In 23.8% of the incidents, the trauma is overlooked on admission because of the small entry wound and, thus, the severity of the injury is not initially appreciated.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2015
Review Case ReportsHomemade Firearm Suicide With Dumbbell Pipe Triggering by an Air-Compressed Gun: Case Report and Review of Literature.
Firearm suicides are frequent and well described in the forensic literature, particularly in Europe and the United States. However, the use of homemade and improvised firearms is less well described. The present case reports a suicide with an original improvised gun created using an air-compressed pellet gun and a dumbbell pipe. The aims of this study were to describe the scene, the external examination of the corpse, the body scan, and the autopsy; to understand the mechanism of death; and to compare the results with a review of the forensic literature to highlight the epidemiology of homemade firearm use, the tools used for homemade and improvised firearms in suicides versus homicides, and the manners in which homemade firearms are used (homicide or suicide, particularly in complex suicide cases).
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Dec 2013
Review Case ReportsFatal caffeine overdose: a case report and review of literature.
Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that is consumed by large numbers of people on a routine basis, usually in the form of coffee or tea. However, if consumed in high doses, this xanthine alkaloid is profoundly toxic and can result in death. ⋯ Autopsy blood caffeine levels were 350 mg/L. We recommend mandated labeling of pure caffeine anhydrous, highlighting the toxicity risk of ingesting this chemical; and we recommend ensuring that caffeine levels are included in the comprehensive forensic toxicology panel performed on all cases.
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Assisted suicide is allowed in 3 states of the United States (Oregon, Washington, Montana) but only if performed by a physician. On the opposite, in Switzerland, at the beginning of the 20th century, the Swiss Penal Code referred to assisted suicide in the context of honor or an unhappy love affair. It was only in 1985 that Exit Deutsche Schweiz (Exit for German-speaking Switzerland) "medically" assisted the first patient to end his life. ⋯ Thus, according to the Swiss law, any person could perform assisted suicide; this is essentially performed by 3 main associations, using pentobarbital on medical prescription as lethal substance. Generally speaking, the Swiss population is rather in favor of assisted suicide. Among politics, the debate has been tough until 2010, when the Federal Council decided not to modify the Swiss Penal Code concerning assisted suicide.
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Jun 2011
Review Case ReportsFatal splenic rupture following Heimlich maneuver: case report and literature review.
The most effective resuscitative procedure in choking by foreign bodies is the Heimlich maneuver, described for the first time by Henry Heimlich (1974) and recognized by the US Surgeon General (1985) as the "only method that should be used for the treatment of choking from foreign body airway obstruction." If performed correctly, this lifesaving maneuver is associated with rare complications, of which the most frequent are rib fractures and gastric or esophagus perforations. Other rare traumatic injuries such as pneumomediastinum, aortic valve cusp rupture, diaphragmatic herniation, jejunum perforation, hepatic rupture, or mesenteric laceration have been described. However, we are unaware of previous reports of splenic rupture after Heimlich maneuver. We present an interesting case of fatal hemoperitoneum due to a hilar laceration of the spleen following a correctly performed Heimlich maneuver.