Lethal Bentazone Intoxication – A Report of Two Cases

This study presents two cases of lethal bentazone poisonings, their clinical presentation, the course of the disease and the autopsy findings. The first is a 50‐year‐old male who had sprayed corn with a solution of bentazone and was admitted to the hospital with sweating, fever, nausea, vomiting of aqueous and hemorrhagic content, and bloody, watery stools. He was treated according to the symptoms including extracorporeal hemodialysis, but eventually suffered from multiorgan failure (acute respiratory failure, acute liver failure, coagulopathy, acute renal failure, metabolic acidosis, and gastrointestinal bleeding) and died 11.35 h after admittance. The cause of death was probable bentazone intoxication. The second case, also a male, aged 49 who committed suicide by ingesting a bentazone solution. He was transferred to the hospital prostrated and cyanotic and died 14.15 h after admittance despite all efforts by the hospital staff. The cause of death was acute bentazone intoxication.     

From Media Attention to Negotiated Peace: Human Rights Reporting and Civil War Duration

Violations of human rights in the context of a conflict have in recent years received an increasing amount of attention from the international media. Yet how such media attention influences conflict remains understudied and, a priori, uncertain. On the one hand, media coverage of human rights abuses may constitute “naming and shaming” that might temper hostilities. On the other hand, such coverage might spark intransigence and complicate negotiations among conflicting parties, thereby hindering rather than hastening peace. This article tries to adjudicate among these and other possibilities by exploring how media reporting on human rights abuses influences the development of conflicts. The analysis reveals that such reporting is associated with shorter conflicts and negotiated agreements between fighting parties.     

The value of the medico-legal examination in sexual offences

A review is presented of medico-legal examinations performed on two series of rape and attempted rape in 1975 and 1980 with a total of 74 victims. Judicial outcome was known in 93% of the cases and is compared with the results of the medico-legal examinations. Between the two series, public discussions and pressure from feminist movements concerning the procedure in rape cases together with modifications of civil penal code resulted in alterations of police practice. Eighteen percent of known offenders in 1975 and 42% in 1980 were charged, 50% and 90%, respectively, of these were convicted. A correlation between the judicial outcome and the results of the medico-legal examination was not found in all cases. The importance of psychological guidance to the victim at the medico-legal examination is stressed.     

Comparison of HoNOS and HoNOS-Secure in a forensic mental health hospital

The Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS) is a widely used tool for monitoring consumer outcomes within mental health services. However, concern about its suitability in forensic mental health settings led to the development of a forensic version of this tool (HoNOS-Secure). To date, no direct comparison of these versions has appeared in the empirical literature. In the present study, a cohort of forensic mental health consumers was rated using the HoNOS and HoNOS-Secure. Pearson correlations were generated to compare the tools at a total score and item level. Logistic regression was employed to evaluate how well these tools categorise patients on a range of measurable outcomes. HoNOS scores were also compared against civil mental health consumers to evaluate differences between these populations. The HoNOS/HoNOS-Secure correlated strongly at the total score level, but demonstrated variable correlations at the item level. Logistic regression suggested that the HoNOS-Secure ‘clinical and social functioning scale’ adds little to the HoNOS in a forensic setting; however, the HoNOS-Secure ‘security scale’ added significant benefit to both versions. Results remained stable when re-evaluated over time. Forensic and civil mental health patients were found to demonstrate the same degree of psychopathology at the point of admission; however, they differed at review and discharge collection occasions. Implications for clinical practice and policy are explored.     

Single Outcome Agreements and Partnership Working in Scottish Local Government – Year One

Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs) are a mechanism that it is argued will deliver key national and local priorities based on a new relationship between central and local government in Scotland. SOAs are to be developed and implemented through partnership working exercised by Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs). A survey of the first (2008) SOA participants from local authorities and their Community Planning partners was conducted in 2008, with a particular focus on the interrelationships between the 2008 SOA development process and partnership working at the local level. Findings of this study suggest that there was a positive link between the strength of existing CPPs and partner engagement in the 2008 SOA development. However, partner engagement in the 2008 SOA development process did not affect survey respondents' confidence that the ongoing SOA development and implementation will strengthen partnership working in the long -term. This study also suggests that in addition to the practical difficulties such as limited time and staff resources, mistrust between local partners, and local players' scepticism about the central government's intention to free up local government may be barriers to the success of the SOA. Overall, respondents in this study showed realistic but hopeful attitudes to what the SOA was about and what could be achieved through it over time. The information gathered through this study should be merited as baseline data which captured the SOA participants' early experience and expectations.     

Agency and outcome expectancies for crime desistance: measuring offenders' personal beliefs about change†

Abstract

While the majority of offenders eventually desist from crime, the internal psychological mechanisms hypothesized to drive the process of desistance and offender change have not been systematically measured. This study developed scales for assessing intention to change, or offenders' beliefs regarding their perceived ability to stay crime-free (agency) and expected outcomes for crime and desistance (expectancies). Incarcerated offenders (N=142) endorsed these beliefs in a way that is consistent with theories of offender change. The structure of beliefs suggests offenders with positive expectancies for desistance and negative expectancies for crime also endorse a higher sense of personal agency to desist. Outcome expectancies for desistance were unrelated to static risk variables, suggesting these measures may be complementary to risk assessment. Overall, the scales developed for this research showed high internal consistency and evidence for concurrent and construct validity. Refining the measurement methods and assessing recidivism outcome post-release should further advance this avenue of research.     

Impediments to the implementation of voluntary codes of conduct in production factories of the Global South: so much to do,so little done

A common consequence of the fragmented supply practices of multinational corporations are unfair and exploitative working conditions in the global South. Many corporations face this, and the resulting reputational damage, by installing voluntary codes of conduct in their supplier factories, leading to a vast range of implementation practices by the factory managers. Despite this effort, the literature shows that the positive impact of these codes on labour conditions in such factories remains insufficient. This article argues that this insufficiency is rooted in the exclusiveness and eurocentrism of codes of conduct and elaborates on why corporations tend to prefer influencing certain labour conditions over others. It concludes by briefly discussing multi-stakeholder organisations as a possible solution to these predicaments, and points the way to further research on the topic.     

Medical malpractice as reflected by the forensic evaluation of 4450 autopsies

A multicentre retrospective analysis of 4450 autopsies carried out due to suspicion of medical malpractice in 17 German institutes of forensic medicine from 1990 to 2000 was performed for the German Federal Ministry of Health. During the time period analysed an increase of cases could be mentioned. The main results of the study are: in the cooperating institutes the total number of autopsies due to suspected medical malpractice ranged from 1.4 to 20%. In more than 40% of the cases preliminary proceedings were started because the manner of death was certified as non-natural or not clarified. Hospital doctors were more affected by medical malpractice claims than doctors in private practice. However, the number of confirmed cases of medical malpractice was higher for doctors in private practice than for hospital doctors. Although surgery is still at the top of the disciplines involved in medical malpractice claims the number of confirmed surgical cases was below the average. Mistakes in care were confirmed to be above the average. Medico-legal autopsies are still a very sufficient method to evaluate cases of medical malpractice: 2863 cases could already be clarified by autopsy. Up to now there is no systematic registration of medical malpractice charges in Germany. A systematic registration should be initiated to build up and/or improve error reporting systems and, thus, to improve patient safety. Compared to other sources of medical malpractice claims (arbitration committees of the medical chambers, reference material of health and insurance companies, files of civil courts) the data of the present multicentre study are in so far unique as only lethal cases were evaluated and a complete autopsy report was available as basis of an expert opinion in alleged medical malpractice cases.     

茵栀黄口服液联合西药治疗妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症的疗效及母婴结局分析

目的 观察中西医结合疗法对妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症的疗效及母婴结局的影响。方法 将60例妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症患者随机分为观察组和对照组,每组30例。对照组给予熊去氧胆酸、腺苷蛋氨酸及还原型谷胱甘肽等西药常规治疗,观察组在对照组基础上加用茵栀黄口服液。分别检测两组患者血清总胆汁酸（total bile acid,TBA）、丙氨酸氨基转移酶（alanine aminotransferase,ALT）、天冬氨酸氨基转移酶（aspartate aminotransferase,AST）、总胆红素（total bilirubin,TBIL）水平,对两组患者瘙痒症状进行评分,观察其临床疗效,并对母婴结局进行分析。结果 治疗后两组患者血清TBA、ALT、AST及TBIL水平均明显下降,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;且两组患者治疗前后TBIL差值比较,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗后两组患者瘙痒症状评分均明显减少（P<0.05）,且观察组瘙痒症状疗效优于对照组（P<0.05）。观察组可明显延长胎儿孕周,且产后24 h出血量、发生早产率及转入新生儿病房率明显低于对照组（P<0.05）。结论 中西医结合方法治疗妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症具有较好的临床疗效,可明显降低围产期母婴风险。     

稳心颗粒对慢性心力衰竭患者临床预后的影响

目的 观察稳心颗粒对慢性心力衰竭患者临床预后的影响。方法 纳入接受《中国慢性心力衰竭诊断治疗指南》标准治疗的慢性心力衰竭患者,其中稳心颗粒组130例和对照组134例。患者随访2年,分别采用卡方检验及Kaplan-Meier生存分析比较两组死亡率和累计生存率。结果 两组全因死亡率比较,差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）;稳心颗粒组因心力衰竭恶化死亡率和因心力衰竭恶化再入院率显著低于对照组（P＜0.05）。稳心颗粒组因心力衰竭恶化和因心力衰竭恶化再入院的累计生存率均显著高于对照组（P<0.05）;两组全因累计生存率比较,差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论 在基于指南标准治疗的基础上,加用稳心颗粒可以显著降低心力衰竭恶化相关的死亡率,但稳心颗粒未能显著减少全因死亡率。