Morphologic changes in spinal cord of patients with spinal injuries who died in hospital

Morphologic changes in the spine have been investigated in patients with spinal injuries who died in hospital. The incidence of injuries has been evaluated as 9.3% of mechanical injuries. Purposeful search for possible injuries increased the rate of detection of injuries of the spine and the cord. Spinal cord can be impaired without involving the osseous formations and spinal ligaments. Edema of the cord tissue develops during the early period of injury and prevents the detection of injuries, persisting for a long time after the injury. Edemas are detected even in subjects who died at the site of accident.     

Establishing the personal identity of the victims in aviation catastrophes

Algorithm of organization measures and expert investigations is proposed, based on experience gained in expert studies during liquidation of aircraft catastrophes. It permits effective classification, differentiation, and identification of victims and is based on traditional and high technological methods of investigation.     

Investigation of osteoporotic changes of the long tubular leg bones for identification of human biological age

The authors propose to introduce into expert practice a number of methods estimating age-related osteoporosis by such quantitative characteristics as coefficient of optical transmission, optic density, porosity. The data confirm nonlinear dependence of age dynamics of osteoporotic changes which can be more effectively described by equations of polynomial regression.     

Forensic medical assessment of subendocardial hemorrhage in acute blood loss

A retrospective analysis of forensic autopsy protocols for 240 victims who died of acute blood loss aged 17-55 years (186 male and 56 female corpses--76.8 and 23.2%, respectively) has shown that appearance of Minakov's spots (MS) depends on duration of the terminal period. Subendocardial hemorrhages occurred most frequently (61.5%) in the terminal period up to one hour. The terminal period for several minutes was associated with MS appearance in 27.5% cases, for several hours--in 6.6%, for 24 hours and more--in 4.4%. MS incidence rate did not correlate with the group of the study, blood loss volume, severity of alcohol intoxication.     

Proposals on standardization of the terminology used in assessing quality of medical service

The terms and notions used in assessment of medical care quality are sometimes ambiguously interpreted. The authors propose a complex approach to standardization of terminology used for assessment of medical care quality.     

Defects in medical care delivery to patients with lung and breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy

Patients aged 55 and 63 years received extracorporeal 30 and 40 Gy gamma-therapy for lung cancer, respectively. Two and 60 days after irradiation, respectively, the patients developed arrosive pulmonary hemorrhage with lethal outcomes. Forensic medical examination in both cases has detected acute radiation pneumonitis with impairment of pulmonary artery endothelium that provoked hemorrhage. The literature review covers acute and chronic lesions of the lungs in radiotherapy of lung and breast tumors.     

Forensic medical diagnostics of chronic alcoholic intoxication based on histological changes in the soft tissues of oral cavity and salivary glands

Histological studies of oral cavity mucosa and salivary glands in subjects with chronic alcoholic intoxication revealed changes at the surface of the tongue and in the glandular tissues. Specific features of chronic alcoholic intoxication include acinar and ductal hyperplasia, reduction of the adipose tissue mass in salivary gland stroma, predominance of T-lymphocytes in hard palate minor salivary glands and B-lymphocytes in the stroma of labial minor salivary gland, the absence of plasma cells in the stroma of hard palate minor salivary glands and labial mucosa. Leukoplakia, dysplasia, and hyperplasia of the basal epithelial layer of oral cavity mucosa are considered to be the signs of long-term (over 12 months) alcohol consumption.