Commotio cordis as a result of a fight: report of a case considered to be imprudent homicide

The report describes a fatal outcome in a 5-year-old male who died after drinking a fatal dose of ethanol at the party held by his parents. Urine and blood alcohol level of the deceased was 0.4 and 0.5 g/dL, what might explain the sudden death of the child. In addition, the analysis of the boy's hair demonstrated the presence of ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a marker of alcohol consumption; hair EtG concentration levels indicated that the boy might have occasionally imbibed alcohol prior to death. Pathological lesions of the liver observed in histopathology did not contradict such a hypothesis.     

The Public Service: Independence, Responsibility and Responsiveness

In recent years there has been controversy surrounding the issues of the independence, responsibility and responsiveness of our public services. Critics come from two opposing directions: (i) there have been charges of politicisation of the public service, with the implication that it has lost its independence and become dominated by the government; (ii) Pusey (1991) has accused 'economic rationalists' in the public service of pursuing their own neo-classical agenda and dominating government policy. Both criticisms reveal a misunderstanding of the respective roles and responsibilities of ministers and public servants and the proper relations between them. In our system of democratic government, it is the prerogative of ministers to decide and the role of departments to propose and advise and then implement the decisions of ministers. This contribution begins by considering the respective responsibilities of ministers and officials, before canvassing the charges of politicisation and what should be expected from public servants in contributing to policy development. Finally there is consideration of the ethical values of public servants and what responsibility they might have for the 'public interest'.     

Suicidal hanging within an automobile.

Accidental asphyxia related to cars has been described in different reports, but suicidal hanging in an automobile is very unusual. Two cases of suicidal hanging inside an automobile are described, illustrating an unusual form of hanging. In one case, the deceased used his belt as a ligature, and the point of attachment was the window of the car. The second victim used the safety belt of the passenger seat. In both cases, the automobile engine was turned off, all the windows were closed, and the door locks were blocked. The medicolegal cause of hanging was based on the scene of the investigation, police and witness reports, social history, autopsy findings, and toxicologic examinations.