Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

Paraphenylene diamine (PPD) is common ingredient in most of the hair dye preparations and posing emerging threat as a suicidal agent. Clinical manifestations include numbness & burning of mouth, throat and vomiting along with respiratory distress and dysphagia. Rhabdomyolysis, intravascular hemolysis, oliguria/anuria, acute renal failure and toxic myocarditis have also been associated with the compound. This case report provides autopsy and toxicological findings in an intentional ingestion of hair dye preparation.

Key words: Hair dye, paraphenylene diamine, death, autopsy, toxicological findings

Introduction: Poisoning is an important health hazard and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Aims & Objectives: The study aims to gather epidemiological information regarding poisoning in Manipal such as the incidence, age, gender, religion, type of poisoning, circumstance of poisoning and outcome, so as to formulate recommendations that could probably help to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to poisoning, and preventable health hazard. Materials & Methods: The study comprises 592 cases of acute poisonings; admitted to Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, which is a tertiary care teaching hospital, situated in coastal Karnataka, South India, for a period of 3 years (January 2006 to December 2008). Results: Of the total 1,49,454 patients admitted in the hospital for treatment during the three years study period, 592 patients were for to acute poisoning. This was less than 1% of all admissions. Of these 57% were males and 43% females. The majority (30%) cases were from age group of 21–30 years. Most (63.7%) poisonings were suicidal and only 35.8% were accidental in nature. The mortality outcome was 66 out of 592 cases. It is important to realize that the present study is restricted to this tertiary health care centre; hence it may be thought to be difficult to draw conclusions for the whole population of Udupi District. However, it emphasizes the need for giving priority for prevention and treatment of poisoning in the health care of the population of Karnataka especially of Udupi District.

Key words: Poisoning; Pattern of poisoning; Suicide; Mortality; Organophosphorous poison.

Study of frequency of fractures of neck structures in hanging and strangulation cases were done in the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Govt. Medical College, Amritsar. 45 (2.26%) cases of Hanging & Strangulation were studied out of total 1983 autopsy cases. In this paper various aspects have been discussed in relation to the presence or absence of fractures of bony structure of neck in hanging and strangulation cases.

Key words: Hyoid Bone, Hanging, Strangulation, Fracture

Objectives: This study was under taken to know the sexual differences in an adult (north Karnataka) human sacrum & thus identify a male from a female sacrum using various parameters. Materials & Methods: 254 dried completely ossified grossly normal human adult sacrum of both sex (190 male & 64 female) is taken from anatomy department of Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College, Gulbarga. Results: In the study the male sacrum showed significantly higher values for i) ventral straight length, ii) ventral curved length, iii) maximum sacral width (breadth of S1), iv) minimum width of sacrum & v) Weight, than female sacrum, while the female sacral index showed higher values when compared with that of male. Identification point & demarking point (DP) helped in sexing the sacrum with certainity. The most useful index for sex determination of sacrum in this study was sacral index.Summary & conclusion: after a detailed study & comparison of my work with others, I conclude that demarking point & identification point helped in sexing the sacrum with certainty. The most useful parameter in my study was sacral index. Continued study over a period of time in a defined area will definitely help in establishing the anthropometric standards for sexing the sacrum.

Key word : Sacrum, sexual dimorphism, parameters, sacral index.

Aims and objectives: The study is aimed to evaluate the relationship between age and degree of fusion among- a) manubrium and mesosternurm, b) xiphoid process and mesosternurm secondly to obtain regression formulae from the above, in males and females. Materials & Methods: A total of 100 sterna (50 males and 50 females) were collected from subjects of known age. The data was statistically analyzed for the relationship between fusion of joints and ages and regression equations were obtained, separately for males and females. A combined regression equation for both the sexes together, was obtained for use in situations where the sex of sternum is not known. Results: The mean age for onset and completion of these joints were calculated, followed by their regression equation for males and females respectively. Combined regression equation was also calculated for use where sex of the person is not known. Regression equation for age from grade of fusion between manubrium and mesosternum (Grade M) & between xiphisternum and mesosternum (Grade X) was Age = 28.151 + 8.599 Grade M + 3.403 Grade X. Regression equation for age from grade of fusion between manubrium and mesosternum (Grade M) & between xiphisternum and mesosternum (Grade X) was Age = 25.816 + 5.021 Grade M + 5.296 Grade X. For both sexes, regression equation for age from grade of fusion between manubrium and mesosternum (Grade M) & between xiphisternum and mesosternum (Grade X) was Age = 26.710 + 7.170 Grade M + 4.284 Grade X.

Key words: Sternum, Sternal joints, Degree of fusion, Age estimation.