Forensic Medicine and Sciences in Turkey

This chapter provides readers with a better understanding of Turkish Forensic Sciences and the Turkish Legal Medicine and Judicial System as well as its expertise and development. We discuss the historical aspect of the forensic sciences in the country and the developmental process with all the criticism on the subjects. We try to evaluate the international relations of the state and the changing attitudes towards the medicolegal system. The state is working very intensively on the quality assurance and standardization issues in forensic sciences. The effects of relations between the European Union are discussed and serious changes to be made in Criminal and Civil Laws and also Criminal and Civil Code Laws with reflections on forensic expertise. The chapter summarizes the new developments and the future of forensic sciences in the country in accordance with the State Supervisory Board report. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Results of domestic migration on juvenile delinquency in Adana, Turkey

PubMedID: 28601041Objective The aim of this study is to determine the effect of migration on children in the juvenile justice system. The study takes into account whether these children arrived in the city via migration or not, the types of crimes against property and persons committed by the children brought before the Juvenile Courts, and the types, frequency, and durations of punishments and precautionary decisions they received. In addition, the study examines the children's ability to realize the meaning and consequences of their crimes and to lead their future behaviors effectively. Method Data gathered from children between 3 and 18 years of age who appeared before the 1, 2, and 3 numbered Juvenile Courts of Adana Courthouse after January 2004 on charges of committing a crime, and/or children who were sent to or who applied to the Provincial Directorate for National Education based on the decision of the Court has been evaluated retrospectively. Results Six hundred and eighty children were studied. Of these, 602 (88.5%) were male and 78 (11.5) were female. The average age of the child at the time of the commitment of the crime was 13 years and 8 months ± 2.18 years. It has been observed that there are statistically meaningful differences for children involved in delinquency between cases whether they come via migration or regardless of migration and types of crimes committed (p = 0.004). When cities faced with migration from other places and types of crime committed by children are compared, it has been observed that there are meaningful differences between the types of crimes committed by non-migrant versus migrant children (p = 0.012). Conclusions It is important to state the reasons for delinquency and to obtain data to prevent future delinquency and to put forward regional and local recommendations within the scope of the data. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicin

Bochdalek hernia in adulthood: A review and an autopsy case report

PubMedID: 8064271Bochdalek hernia is rare in adulthood with fewer than 100 cases having been reported in the world literature. We present a delayed case of Bochdalek hernia in an adult leading to sudden death, first diagnosed at medicolegal autopsy

Sudden death due to a colloid cyst of the third ventricle: Report of three cases with a special sign at autopsy

PubMedID: 19446972Colloid cysts of the third ventricle are rare benign cysts but they may be potentially life-threatening. Three cases of sudden death resulting from colloid cysts of the third ventricle are presented. The first and second cases were treated for migraine headaches. In the first case, the patient was a 24-year-old woman who presented to the hospital with a severe headache and was sent back home after medical treatment. Six hours later, she was found dead in her bed. The second case was a 21-year-old woman who experienced a severe headache, dizziness and vomiting 1 day prior to her death. She was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. The third case was a 25-year-old man who experienced headaches and vomiting and was diagnosed with and medically treated for sinusitis. He lost consciousness and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. During the autopsy of all three cases, there was a grey transillumination area observed that occurred due to the stretching of tissue at the base of brain between the corpus mamillare and chiasma opticum. Dissection of the brain revealed a colloid cyst of the third ventricle. To avoid such fatal complications, prompt diagnosis using CT or MRI is essential in patients who have a long-standing history of intermittent headaches. During the autopsy of the sudden deaths of people with medical antecedents of headaches, if a grey color is observed between the chiasma opticum and the corpus mamillare in the base of the brain, a colloid cyst should be considered and this region should be dissected and examined carefully. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Accidental hanging deaths in children in Konya, Turkey between 1998 and 2007

PubMedID: 20202070In general, hanging cases are the result of suicide, and accidental and homicidal hanging cases are rarely seen. This study retrospectively investigated 4571 death examinations and autopsies that were performed at The Konya Branch of the Forensic Medicine Council (Turkey) between 1998 and 2007; hanging was involved in 201 (6.5%) of the cases. There were a total of 13 accidental hanging cases, where 12 of these involved children. In seven of the cases, the accidental hanging involved a scarf that wraps around swing-like cradles and is intended to prevent infants from falling down. It was concluded that accidental hanging deaths can be reduced by replacing swing-like cradles with cribs that are designed for children, removing ropes in and around the house, and preventing children from reaching and/or playing with rope-like objects. © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences

Deaths due to burns in Adana, Turkey

PubMedID: 18378090A series of 502 deaths due to burn, which comprised 5.7% of all medicolegal deaths were reviewed in order to determine general features of burn related death. Victims' ages were ranged between 2 months and 91 years, and male to female ratio was 1.7. The majority of the victims (175 cases, 35.9%) were in the 0-5 age group, followed by 21-30 age group with 83 cases. Unintentional burning (91.4%) was the most common manner of deaths followed by suicide (4.6%) and homicide (2%) burning. Although fire burns constituted 57% of overall, scalding related burns (138 cases, 65.7%) were the commonest type under 10 years of age. The present study will contribute to taking and disseminating safety measures by determining general properties and risk factors of such preventable deaths. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI

Determination of pesticides in postmortem blood and bone marrow of pesticide treated rabbits

PubMedID: 19446970Forensic toxicological analyses have traditionally focused on the use of blood, body fluids, and certain organs in examinations of deaths due to intoxication. However, in some situations, putrefaction and contamination make proper sampling from tissues impossible, such as in exhumation cases. In these cases, bone marrow might be useful as an alternative specimen since it is a potential depot for drugs. This study aims to determine pesticides in postmortem and putrefied bone marrow of pesticide treated rabbits, so as to reveal the diagnostic value of toxicological analysis of bone marrow in exhumation cases. Out of thirteen rabbits, a 110 mg/kg dose of endosulfan was orally given to six through a gavage tool, and a 2500 mg/kg dose of diazinon was given to six using the same method. One rabbit was not treated with anything and served as a control sample. Venous blood, liver, lung, kidney, brain, and bone marrow samples were collected just after spontaneous death or cervical dislocation. After this, the rabbits were buried in soil. All of them were exhumed 1 month later, and putrefied viscera and bone marrow were sampled. Blood and tissue samples underwent solvent extraction and solid phase extraction, and then the samples were analyzed by GC-MS. Mean residue levels of diazinon in early postmortem samples were 85 mg/kg, 71 mg/kg, 23 mg/kg, 21 mg/kg, 19 mg/kg, and 0.4 mg/l in the liver, bone marrow, kidney, lung, brain, and blood, respectively. Mean residue levels of diazinon in the putrefied body were 3327 mg/kg in putrefied viscera and 1783 mg/kg in the bone marrow. Mean residue levels of endosulfan isomers and metabolites in early postmortem samples (blood, liver, lung, kidney, brain, and bone marrow) were 0.46 mg/kg (endosulfan sulfate), 0.32 mg/kg (alpha and beta isomers of endosulfan), and 0.14 mg/kg (endosulfan ether) while the same levels were 0.26 mg/kg (endosulfan sulfate), 0.24 mg/kg (alpha and beta isomers of endosulfan), and 0.1 mg/kg (endosulfan ether) in putrefied samples (putrefied bone marrow and putrefied viscera). Based on these experimental results, it can be concluded that cause of death can be determined as acute pesticide poisoning by toxicological analysis of samples from bone marrow and putrefied viscera in exhumation cases. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.TF 2006 LTP 3Çukurova University Research Foundation provided the financial support for this work (grant No.: TF 2006 LTP 3). The authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Y. Kenan Daglioglu, head of Çukurova University Medical and Experimental Research Center for his precious help

Pesticide intoxications in Cukurova, Turkey: Three years analysis

PubMedID: 21393348In Cukurova region, pesticide poisonings still remain an unfortunate cause of death, which led to the present study. The autopsy records of Adana Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine, between 2006 and 2008, were evaluated retrospectively. Deaths that were attributed to pesticide poisoning were included in the scope of the study to identify the type of pesticide, and etiology of intoxication. The frequency and distribution of intoxications were also analyzed in terms of sex and age. In the studied period, a total of 4199 autopsies were referred to the forensic toxicology laboratory for pesticide analysis. Seventy-two cases were positive for pesticide analysis. Of these, 42 (58.33%) were male and 30 (41.67%) were female, with a mean age of 38.8 ± 20.6 years. Among the inspected pesticides, endosulfan was found to be the most common with 47.2% of prevalence, followed by dichlorvos. This report showed that certain pesticides, endosulfan in particular, remains as common cause of poisonings in Cukurova region. © The Author(s) 2011

Dead bodies found in wells

PubMedID: 20177365Corpses found in wells or lime pits must be identified and the cause and manner of death must be determined. There are several circumstances that may lead to the presence of corpses in wells. In this study, 3940 death examinations and autopsies, performed at the Konya Branch of Forensic Medicine Council (Turkey) between 2000 and 2007, were retrospectively investigated, and it was found that 18 (0.46%) of the bodies had been recovered from wells. The cases were evaluated in terms of their demographic features, manner of death (accidental, suicidal, or homicidal), autopsy findings, cause of death, and the characteristics of the wells in which they were found. The ages of the victims ranged from 4 to 74 years, and the average age was 40. 4 ± 20.6 years. Of total, 16 cases were males and 2 were females. The manner of death was determined to be accidental in 10 of the cases, suicide in 6 of the cases, and homicide in the remaining 2 cases. In 7 of the cases, death had occurred as a result of drowning in water. A comprehensive scene investigation and autopsy must be performed for corpses recovered from wells and pits for both identification and determination of the cause and manner of death. Wells should be covered and kept closed at all times to reduce the number of accidental deaths resulting from falls into wells. Copyright © 2010 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Evaluation of paracetamol distribution and stability in case of acute intoxication in rats

PubMedID: 23111878Effects of different storing conditions on paracetamol concentration in biological samples of acute intoxicated rats were investigated. The stability and distribution of paracetamol was observed in postmortem serum, liver, kidney and brain tissues. The serum samples were stored for 30 days and daily changes were evaluated for paracetamol. A significant difference (p = 0.05) was noticed on the 30th experimental day. Paracetamol serum levels changed as much as 66.30% and 33.78% for 4°C and -20°C, respectively. The stability of paracetamol in liver stored at -20°C was also evaluated for 30 days. The paracetamol concentration levels taken from liver samples dramatically decreased from 30.36% on the 1st day to 94.97% on the 30th day. The paracetamol distribution in organs was as 2.68 , 1.11 and 0.68 mg/g in liver, kidney and brain samples, respectively. Meaningful difference in paracetamol in serum and liver samples was in observed in 30th day values (p = 0.05). © The Author(s) 2013