Patterns of injuries in domestic violence in a romanian population

In Romania, the quantification of traumatic injuries is achieved in medical- legal services; therefore, each domestic violence (DV) victim needs a medical-legal certificate to prove in a court of law the presence of traumatic injuries. In this study, we aimed to determine the pattern of traumatic injuries in DV. A total of 219 consecutive DV cases were included. For each victim, a detailed medical-legal examination was performed, including specialized consults, if needed. Results were analyzed statistically using the SPSS software. Traumatic injuries in DV cases were usually located in the head, face, and neck areas and had a low severity index. Severe lesions were found in less than 10% and no sexual aggression was found. The severity increases with age and is higher for males than females. The pattern of DV-associated injuries we have encountered is similar to the one found in other similar studies. Knowing this pattern may be useful in clinical practice to detect cases of DV.     

Deaths due to jambia-inflicted lesions in a domestic environment

Domestic violence is a significant health problem affecting women all around the world by causing a wide range of physical and psychological traumas. Yemen has a very high percentage of women experiencing intimate partner violence (up to 50%) and a high mortality rate. In this article, we are presenting 3 particular cases of domestic violence deaths in which the weapon used was a jambia (jambia, jambiah, jambiya, djambia), a special dagger specific to Yemen and the surrounding areas. We are also summarizing the main characteristics of jambia-inflicted lesions and their thanatology.     

Particularities Regarding the Etiology of Sepsis in Forensic Services

If in clinical practice definitive diagnostic criteria had been established, after death sepsis is often difficult to diagnose, especially if a site of origin is not found or if no clinical data are available. This article will analyze the etiology of sepsis in a medical‐legal service with emphasis on the differences in diagnosing it in clinical and forensic environments. A total of 78 cases of sepsis cases diagnosed or confirmed at the autopsy were selected. The etiological agent was determined either during the hospitalization or by postmortem bacteriology. A high prevalence of Gram‐negative sepsis was found, especially multidrug‐resistant micro‐organisms. Most frequent etiological agents were Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, and Klebsiella. Polymicrobial sepsis is much more frequent than in nonforensic cases. In legal medicine, the prevalence of Gram‐negative sepsis is much higher than in nonforensic autopsies, and the point of origin is shifted toward the skin and the gastrointestinal system.