Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

 A young female with history of previous lower segment cesarean section was admitted in a hospital at Nashik with full term fetus for induction of delivery. The patient was having Labor pains but the doctor on duty admitted the patient & assured her relatives that she is under false labor pains. After 7 hrs of admission in hospital patient died due to shock. The relatives of patient banged the doctor on duty & filled a complaint of medical negligence against the doctor. On post mortem examination, body was well built & pale. On opening the abdominal wall peritoneal cavity contained 1500 cc of dark red blood clots. The uterus was ruptured on anterior aspect with placental parts extruding but the fetus in situ. The Police have registered a case of gross negligence against the doctor.

Key words: Snake bite; Awareness; Dry bites; Treatment; ASV; First Aid

Snake bites when viewed globally form a major chunk of neglected health problem in the tropics which comprise mostly of the developing and underdeveloped countries. Lack of awareness, delay in presentation to hospital, difficulty in identification of snake, clinical manifestation and treatment protocol, along with Anti Snake Venom (ASV) and its complications remain the vital issues regarding snake bite and its treatment that needs to be highlighted.

Key words: Snake bite; Awareness; Dry bites; Treatment; ASV; First Aid

A 3 year retrospective study was carried out with an aim to describe the assailant demographics, allegations made, assault characteristics, explanation quoted for latency in reporting & hence examination. Twenty two such cases had been examined. Majority (50%) belonged to age group of 20-29 years, 77% were illiterates, all were known to victims; few were under the influence of alcohol and forensic examination didn’t give any supportive evidence probably due to long latency between the alleged act and examination; and the median time gap was 49 days. It appears to us, that laws of rape are being misused.

Key words: Rape, Illiteracy, Latency, Forensic evidence, Misuse of law.

Background: Determination of sex is one of the key questions to be answered in cases of unidentified bodies in medicolegal cases or anthropological studies. A number of studies are available in this regard. The studies being population specific and in general are of not universal help. Present study is an attempt to establish metrical parameters of ulna for the determination of sex.Materials & Methods: 193 adult human ulnae comprised 133 male and 60 female from the Bone Bank of Govt. Medical College Aurangabad, were used for the present study. Parameters like Length of Ulna (L), width of Proximal Ulnar width (PWD), Distal Ulnar Width (DWD) and Head Circumference (HC), Olecranon Anterioposterior Diameter (OAPD), were recorded and analyzed statistically. Mean, SD, P values and demarking points for male and female are obtained. Cross validation of the ulnae is done using the obtained Demarking points.Results: All the parameters are found to be statistically significant and Demarking points are found to be valid in sorting the ulnae. Conclusion: The Metrical parameters of long bones including ulnae are of immense help in determination of sex of deceased person specially in cases where skeletal remains available are very less.

Key Words- Sexual Dimorphism, Demarking Points, P Value, Forensic Anthropology, Skeletal Collection

Purpose: To determine the ABO blood group from the dental pulp of extracted teeth at various time intervals by Absorption-Elution technique. Method: Extracted teeth (50 permanent and 50 deciduous) were collected and longitudinally sectioned. The pulp was scooped and used for blood grouping by Absorption-Elution technique. The blood grouping was done at intervals of, day one of extraction, day 14, day 30, day 90 & day 180 respectively. Blood from the freshly extracted socket was soaked with gauze which served as the control. Results: Overall, ABO blood groups could be identified from 88% of permanent teeth and 44% of deciduous teeth. As the time interval increased the number of positive results obtained decreased. Conclusion: The permanent teeth furnished higher percentage of positive results than the deciduous teeth, on the same day of the extraction and on the 14th day after the extraction respectively.

Keywords: Odontology, Human identification, Pulp, ABO blood grouping, Absorption - Elution technique. 

Background: Septic abortion continues to contribute to the perennial burden of maternal mortality in the developing countries. Literature regarding the characteristics of cases from Orissa, India is virtually non-existent to formulate a preventive hypothesis. Materials and methods: Fifty consecutive cases of septic abortion treated in 3 maternity hospitals in rural part of western Orissa, India. Hospital records of these patients are analyzed to explore the epidemiological variables associated with such cases. Study design: Descriptive Epidemiology- Retrospective study of hospital records. Result: Septic abortion is common among married and multiparous women, of low socioeconomic status in the age group of 19-30 years. Timely intervention provided good cure rate. Conclusion: Adequate counseling regarding Medical Termination of Pregnancy at the grass-root level may help in curbing this menace to maternal health.

Key words: Septic abortion, criminal abortion, MTP Act. 

The rate of autopsy is directly proportional to the accurate epidemiological study and quality control of medical care. The health status of a community is reflected by the children present who are going to be caretakers of the nation tomorrow. This study aims to analyze all autopsies performed in a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India during 10 consecutive years. A 10-year retrospective autopsy-based study (2001–2010) was undertaken by the department of forensic medicine and toxicology of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal to ascertain the profile of casualties in the paediatric age group. Out of 1778 autopsies performed during the period, 180 victims belonging to the paediatric age group formed the material for the study. The adolescent age group (12–19 years) was most commonly affected, with a significant male preponderance. More than half of the cases were reported in the first half of the year. A seasonal variation was noticed, with many cases being reported during the summer months. Many of the cases were accidental in nature with road traffic accident being the cause. There was much coexistence of the various parameters typical of both industrialized and developing countries, indicating the epidemiological transition. The need for a paediatric autopsy registry is stressed along with recommendations to reduce paediatric fatalities.

Key words: Paediatric autopsy, seasonal variation, adolescents