Evaluation of the deaths secondary to entrapment under the debris in the Van earthquake

AbstractIntroductionAn earthquake occurred on October 23, 2011 at 13:41 in the Van city of Turkey. According to the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, the magnitude of this earthquake was measured as 7.2 on the Richter scale. The earthquake caused deaths and injuries due to entrapment under the debris. This study has been planned in order to evaluate the features of these deaths and to discuss the obtained data comparatively with the literature.Materials and methodsExternal examination of the corpses and autopsy reports drawn up for Van Attorney Generalship in the city center were evaluated retrospectively.ResultsTotally 51 deaths secondary to the entrapment under the debris were analyzed. Twenty-seven cases (52.9%) were females and 24 cases (47.1%) were males. All the deaths occurred in houses or workplaces. The causes of deaths were as follows: head trauma together with visceral organ laceration in 30 cases (58.8%), mechanic asphyxia in 14 cases (27.5%) and the crush syndrome in seven cases (13.7%). Deaths due to the crush syndrome occurred after victims’ were rescued alive after having been under the debris.ConclusionTraumatic findings are usually generalized and extensive in deaths related with earthquakes. Multiple fractures of cranial bones, ribs, extremities and injuries of visceral organs and major vessels are determined in the external examination. On the other hand, forensic pathologists should not disregard the diagnosis of the crush syndrome in traumatic deaths, especially if the trauma is secondary to the entrapment under the debris following an earthquake

Two Physical Child Abuse Cases with Lethal Outcome [Olumle Sonuclanan Iki Fiziksel Cocuk Istismari Olgusu]

The study presents two cases of child abuse, one being molested by his father and stepmother, the second one by his stepmother. This study also aims to draw attention to taking necessary precautions in order to prevent similar cases from happening. The external examination of both cases revealed traumatic findings in different ages and cigarette burns; in addition, the second case had a large burn scar area starting from the left shoulder towards the rib curve. The first case is claimed to be hung by his father at times onto a tree in the garden of their house and the external examination showed scars on both upper arms, supporting this claims. The second case was in an advanced state of cachexia. The internal examination revealed that the first case had chronic subdural hematoma on the right fronto-temporal region, fresh subdural hematoma on the left temporal region and purulent menengitis; whereas, the second case had chronic subdural hematoma on the right parietal region and subarachnoidal bleeding on the both parietal and partially on the temporal area. The reports of the Council of Forensic Medicine indicated that the death cause of both cases was cerebral hemorrhage and developping complications. It is rather important to increase multidisciplinary studies on preventing child abuse that has multiple causes and a big impact on not only children but society as a whole. It is crucial to encourage collaboration among the government and the civil associations on the subject for increasing social sensitivity. [Med-Science 2014; 3(2.000): 1277-88

Investigation of suicide deaths in Turkey between 2015 and 2019

Background and objectives: Although suicide is the act of an individual, it is an important public health problem that affects the individual’s environment and also society. Approximately 800,000 people die by suicide each year. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the socio-demographic characteristics of fatal suicides in Turkey between 2015 and 2019. Materials and methods: This observational-analytical study was conducted by examining retrospective records in the period 2015–2019. The study was conducted by secondary analysis based on data from the Turkish Statistical Institute. Results: During the study period, the suicide rate (per 100,000) varied in the range 3.94–4.15 and the mean (standard deviation, SD) was 4.07 (0.09). The mean (SD) suicide rate was 6.14 (0.13) in males and 1.99 (0.18) in females; it was higher in males (z = 2.611; p = 0.008). Considering age groups, there was no difference between sex in terms of suicide rate among those aged <19 years (z = 1.617; p = 0.446), whereas the suicide rate was higher in males and in those aged ≥20 years (p < 0.05 for each). During the study period, the most common suicide mean in both men and women was “by hanging”. The incidence of suicide using chemical substances and by jumping from a height was higher in women than in men, whereas the rate of suicide using firearms was high in men (p = 0.000). When the female/male suicide rate was compared according to marital status, the suicide rate was observed to be higher in men regardless of marital status, and this difference was more striking in men who were divorced or whose spouse had died. Conclusion: Between 2015 and 2019, the suicide rate was higher especially in older men and in those who had lost a spouse. Therefore, socio-demographic characteristics should be considered in planning interventions to prevent suicides and guiding rehabilitation programs following a suicide attempt

Medico-legal child deaths in Istanbul: data from the Morgue Department

Background: Before determining health policies, finding solutions to problems and taking precautions, one should define the problems and their regional and national dimensions. Data about causes of death vary from country to country and, therefore, it is clear that precautions should be based on regional data and needs, which will be more effective

Neonatal line on fetus and infant teeth An indicator of live birth and mode of delivery

Dagalp, Rukiye/0000-0002-7335-8578; Dagalp, Rukiye E/0000-0002-7335-8578;WOS: 000339149600002PubMed: 24951074Background: The neonatal line (NL) is an important issue in forensic odontology. It is the sign of a developmental birth defect, which is caused by the effect of metabolic stress on tooth structures when the fetus passes to extrauterine life. Aims: The aim of this research is to determine the existence and thickness of NL in teeth, as it is a legal necessity to indicate the signs of viability at birth in a forensic examination of a fetus or infant case. Study design and subjects: This research was conducted on 48 lower left and right lateral teeth, which were taken from 24 autopsy cases (46% female and 54% male). Left lateral teeth were sectioned in a vertical plane and right lateral teeth were sectioned in a horizontal plane. The NL thickness was measured with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). These cases comprised three conditions as: 70.3% normal birth, 16.7% caesarean sections, and 12.5% still birth cases under the legal and ethical permission. Outcome measures: The mean NL thickness of normal birth cases was higher than caesarean cases as 7.7 mu m and 2.5 mu m, respectively. Results and conclusions: The results showed a statistical significance between all birth conditions. NL does not exist in still birth cases (p < 0.001). Not only is the presence of NL a sign of live birth, but also its thickness is an indicator of the delivery mode where NL thickness of normal birth was found thicker than the caesarean cases. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

A Case of Accidental Child Death which Occurred with Blank Cartridge Gun [Kurusiki Tabanca Ile Olusan Kaza Orijinli Cocuk Olumu Olgu]

The article presents an 8-year-old childs death during treatment, whose head was injured while playing with his fathers blank cartridge gun, and it aims to draw the attention to how dangerous blank firing guns can be. The father stated that he always kept the blank cartridge gun in the glove compartement of his car so that his children wont play with it. The father also said that, in the day of the event, his other son called for him and when he went to his vehicle, he saw his son sitting at the drivers seat, with his head bleeding. When the case was brought to the hospital, his general condition was bad, he was unconscious, and there was a 2.50-cm-wide skin lesion on the left temporal preauricular region. The cranial CT scan showed introcranial bleeding, oedema, fracture on the left zygomatic bone, thrypsis on the left temporal bone, cerebral contusion, and a shift at the midline. The case was treated in the intensive care unit for 15 days at the end of which, exitus happened. The autopsy revealed that the death was because of cranial and facial fractures due to firearm injury, resulting in cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral tissue destruction. The fact that blank cartridge guns can cause lethal injuries, strongly requires more serious legal enforcements for its gaining. There is also a need to modify the guns mechanism in order to remove or decrease the gas pressure at the exit of the gun barrel. [Med-Science 2014; 3(2.000): 1289-98

Evaluation of forensic perinatal and neonatal autopsies in Istanbul

Autopsy findings play an important role in prevention of perinatal and neonatal deaths. Therefore, we attempted to reveal demographic and forensic features of these deaths in Turkey