Prevalence and postmortem diagnosis of hemocontact infections in intravenous drug abusers based on forensic medical research data

The spread of viral hepatitis C and B and of HIV was studied among the intravenous drug consumers (IDC) on the basis of 42 forensic-medical autopsies. The enzyme immune-assay (EIA) of blood serum showed, in 95.2% of cases, antibodies to hepatitis C virus, antibodies to HbsAg and HIV were registered in 11.9% in both cases. The possibilities of using the autopsy-blood serum for EIA-diagnosis of viral hepatitis and HIV were demonstrated. Morphological examinations of IDC showed, in them, chronic hepatitis (CH) of minimal, weakly-pronounced and moderate activities. Viral CH in HIV infected IDCs is characterized by a minimal and small-pronounced activity of the process and it is not different, according to its activity, from viral CH in IDCs without HIV.     

The need of regulation of production of components for forensic-medical molecular-genetic technologies and improvement of legal basis of forensic-medical molecular-genetic expert examinations in the Russian Federation

Of late, Ministry of Health of Russian Federation has developed instructions concerning forensic-medical molecular genetic methods of analysis promoting creation of standardized forensic-medical genetic service. However, some legal uncertainty exists in respect to design and production of the materials for forensic-medical molecular-genetic technologies, unification and standardization of molecular-genetic kits and methods. It is thought necessary to regulate legally forensic medical molecular-genetic technologies from foreign countries and production and use of domestic components for forensic medical molecular-genetic expert examinations.     

Medico-criminal examination of damages to clothes in flight accidents

Examination of cloths is a permanent sphere in the practice of forensic-medical expert and an indispensable expertise stage providing for decision-making on the key issues set before the expert. Although, the examination of cloth in forensic-medical expertise has been productive, research in this field slowed down during the recent decades; definition of new sets of evident informative signs has been also suspended. The methodological potentialities of examination of cloths items were demonstrated by examples of aviation incidents because such incidents reflect the principle variations of impacts, i.e. blow, explosion, fire, compression and chemical factors etc., which are subject to examination in the forensic-medical practice. Identification of mechanism causing damage and other signs on cloths helps a lot the forensic-medical expert in solving quite a number of issues related with circumstances of an incident and with a nature of an impact encountered by a person.     

Forensic-medical obstetric-gynecological examinations in cases on professional delinquency of medical personnel

We studied the trend in the number of forensic-medical examinations in trials against obstetricians and gynecologists conducted in Primorsky Region in 1997-2005. Most typical defects in obstetric-gynecological care are characterized. These cases are analysed in terms of forensic-medical practice. Detection and forensic-medical analysis of the above defects contribute to optimization of the diagnosis and treatment both in obstetric-gynecological practice and in wide medical practice.     

Identification of tsunami victims in Thailand: international experience in organization and conduction of forensic-medical expert investigations in emergency situations with many victims

Russians were among the victims of tsunami in Thailand. The authors participated in the activity of Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Center as experts for identification of tsunami victims. The article outlines management and course of identification, some results. The unique experience with international cooperation in conduction of forensic-medical expert investigations in emergency situations with many victims is discussed.     

Possibilities of situational expertise in investigation of firearm-related criminal cases

The article illustrates usage of theoretical and practical approaches to forensic-medical situational expertise of gun-shot wounds.     

Characteristic of injuries inflicted by a blank gunshot

The analysis of the data published in the special literature indicates that forensic-medical aspects of the injuries inflicted by blank shots fired from a variety of small-arms weapons remain poorly known or virtually unexplored. Despite considerable variability of such injuries, their forensic-medical examination should include three basic components, viz. the proof of the absence of the injurious action of the shot, differential diagnostics of the consequences of injuries attributable to each traumatic factor of the shot, and experimental simulation of the damages to the human body and the clothes taking into account concrete models of the weapons and the blank cartridge.     

Police surgeons and organization of forensic-medical examination in Sankt-Petersburg prior to the establishment of the city medical department

The author presents documents illustrating one of the stages in the organization of forensic-medical service that provided the basis for the establishment of the city medical administration in 1873.     

Posttraumatic periosteal reaction in the skull arch bones

The mechanisms of genesis, morphological features of posttraumatic periosteal reaction in skull cap bones were considered. The forensic-medical assessment of this reaction was given.     

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of hepatitis C virus in forensic blood samples obtained from injecting drug users

Injecting drug users (IDUs) are a high-risk group for contracting hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. In Japan, data on the prevalence of those blood-borne viruses among IDUs are very limited. Blood samples were obtained from 12 cadavers of IDUs sent to Nagoya City University for the purpose of judicious autopsy and two alive IDUs with hepatitis C referred to a local hospital at the same period. The viruses were detected by polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Two (16.6%) of the 12 autopsy cases were positive for HCV, but no case was positive for either HBV or HIV. Phylogenetic analysis of the two HCV isolates revealed that one was classified into genotype 1b and another was genotype 2b. Furthermore, nucleotide sequences of two isolates recovered from IDUs with hepatitis C were identical, that indicated the transmission of HCV between them, and those HCV were phylogenetically classified into genotype 2a. The prevalence of HCV infection among IDUs in Japan, despite the case of judicious autopsy, seems to be high, but HIV infection seems to be rare. The transmission of HCV between IDUs was demonstrated, and this indicates that phylogenetic analysis would applicable to also forensic analysis. HCV isolates identified in this study did not phylogenetically segregate, thus multiple transmission route of HCV among IDUs seems be exist in Japan.     

Evaluation of disorders in the liquor circulation in craniocerebral trauma

The modern methods of complex examinations of the brain in craniocerebral trauma are addressed and the possibilities of the topographic-and-anatomic substantiation in the forensic-medical (expert) evaluation of traumatic lesions of liquor-circulation structural elements are elucidated in the paper. Morphometry data characterizing the dislocation manifestations are presented with respect to the dislocation intensity and severity.     

Biosafety considerations for autopsy

An autopsy may subject prosectors and others to a wide variety of infectious agents, including bloodborne and aerosolized pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Other hazards include toxic chemicals (e.g., formalin, cyanide, and organophosphates) and radiation from radionuclides used for patient therapy and diagnosis. These risks can be substantially mitigated through proper assessment, personal protective equipment, appropriate autopsy procedures, and facility design.     

Forensic-medical evaluation of medical care errors in obstetric-gynecological practice

The authors show the necessity of elaboration and practical application of normative documents (standards) and forensic-medical criterions of assessment of defects in obstetric-gynecological medical aid. The examples of the above assessment are given in the article.     

Use of thin-layer chromatography for detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in the urine

A simple method of thin-layer chromatography for detection of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol in biological material (urine) can be used in chemicotoxicological laboratories and chemical departments of forensic-medical expert examination without special facilities.     

Forensic-medical aspects of injuries inflicted by nonlethal arms

Special literature (surgical, forensic-medical and criminalistic) is reviewed on classification, mechanisms of a harmful action and characteristics of injuries inflicted by non-lethal arms. Some details of such arms construction and damaging action are given.     

Concerning the criteria of expert assessment of unfavorable outcomes in implantological stomatology

The state of complex forensic-medical expertise in implantological stomatology was analyzed in the article. The questions of assessment of medical aid quality with the use of score system of risk degree and factors determination are considered. The authors suggest to use the score system of unfavorable outcomes with the purpose of objectification of expert conclusions.     

The role of retroperitoneal hematomas in thanatogenesis of pelvic trauma

A brief statistical analysis of the pelvic hematomas' evolution in traumas with various localizations is presented in the article. The current published data were made use of to describe the state-of-art for the time being. Finally, problems related with the forensic-medical aspects of the issue are defined, and methods to cope with them are appropriately suggested.     

Mathematic modeling of morphogenesis of the liver and spleen in fetus and newborns for the purpose of determining the gestation age

Fragments of the liver and spleen obtained from 140 cadavers of fetus and newborns with a gestation age (GA) ranging from 21 to 41 weeks were morphometrically investigated. The obtained data were statistically processed. A set of equations was designed on the basis of the multi-factor regression analysis for the GA determination. The study results are recommended for practical use in the forensic-medical expertise in cases of perinatal death.     

Posttraumatic neurosensory hypoacusis in forensic medical practice

Literature data and results of epidemiological examination show that traumas play a significant role in emergence of neurosensory hypoacusis (NSHA) in young healthy population. The diagnosis of NSHA is often missed in forensic-medical examination and this may cause a social problem. Audiometric signs of NSHA were studied in subjects with trauma of the labyrinth. Pure tone audiometry results can be used for differential diagnosis of mechanical and barotraumas and as additional criteria in determination of the harm to health.