Beiträge zur gerichtlichen Medizin
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Beitr. Gerichtl. Med. · Jan 1992
Case Reports[False positive radiographic findings in expert assessment of whiplash trauma of the cervical spine].
It is reported about a possible misdiagnosis after whiplash injuries. Calcifications of the nuchal ligament have been interpreted as fractures. The inappropriate radiological diagnosis has been corrected within the criminal procedure. Prolonged complaints as possible consequences of information about the false positive radiological diagnosis to the patient are discussed.
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A suicidal injury from a livestock stunner ("humane killer") serves to demonstrate the reconstruction possibilities presented by the morphology of the bolt entrance wound and the imprimata. There are differences to common bullet entrance holes with regard to caliber and soot deposits but also with regard to the wound margin features and the characteristics with shots fired at an oblique angle.
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A 56 year old man committed suicide in his car with a self constructed weapon ("gun"). Construction and function of the self made gun as well as the main gunshot injuries are described.
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Beitr. Gerichtl. Med. · Jan 1990
[Expert systems in forensic medicine. Pilot project in the differential diagnosis of death caused by hanging].
The special field of legal medicine represents a very heterogeneous science, which makes it impossible, that a forensic pathologist could be an "expert" in all areas. The most recent achievements of computer-technology have opened up the possibility of being able to use a PC to produce an "expert system", for with large computer programs are needed. ⋯ The discrepancy between the relatively scanty amount of statistically reliable data on the one hand and the complexity of the manifestation of death by hanging on the other hand proved to be the main problem. Although we are not yet able to make an expert system available which meets all our requirements, we are convinced, that in the future computer-aided diagnosis may be of great use for work in legal medicine.
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On the suggestion of Conzelmann et al. (1977) and Lerch (1982), 176 shooting fatalities with 249 shot wounds in the South Baden region were evaluated in a multi-dimensional analysis of such data as place of death, autopsy findings, forensic examinations, and police and court files. Data were collected on incident, victim, culprit, weapon used, motive and the special circumstances of each case. The greatest number of deaths are suicides of inebriated men using handguns of medium-size caliber (7.65 and 9 mm), followed by homicidal shooting deaths, some involving multiple shots at longer range, though one-third were at close range. 78% of the shots fired from rifles and shotguns were in connection with suicides, 50% involved small-caliber weapon, 86% of the victims were men. ⋯ In 50% of the homicides, the killer was either the mate or a relative of the victim, was between 40 and 60 years of age, and committed suicide after shooting his mate. In 78% of the cases, killer and victim knew each other. Two-thirds of all the suicides occurred in the home, with the bedroom being the preferred scene in 25% of the cases.