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In Switzerland, the prevalence of an excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in drivers undergoing a driving capacity assessment is currently not known. In this study, private and professional drivers were evaluated by means of a paper-based questionnaire, including Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Berlin Questionnaire, and additional questions to sleepiness-related accidents, near-miss accidents, health issues, and demographic data. Of the 435 distributed questionnaires, 128 completed were returned. The response rate was 29%. The mean age of the investigated drivers was 42.5 years (20-85 years). According to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, 9% of the participants are likely to suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness. An equal percentage has a high risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome based on the Berlin Questionnaire. 16% admitted an involuntary nodding off while driving a motor vehicle. This subset of the participants scored statistically significant higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (p = 0.036). 8% of the participants already suffered an accident because of being sleepy while driving. An equal number experienced a sleepiness-related near-miss accident on the road. The study shows that a medical workup of excessive daytime sleepiness is highly recommended in each driver undergoing a driving capacity assessment. Routine application of easily available and time-saving assessment tools such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale questionnaire could prevent accidents in a simple way. The applicability of the Berlin Questionnaire to screen suspected fatal sleepiness-related motor vehicle accidents is discussed.

In clinical medicine, plane radiography is used for detecting the remains of medications in the stomach in oral medication intoxication cases. Since postmortem computed tomography (CT), performed prior to autopsy, is currently intensively entering the forensic routine, the technique was applied to three fatal cases of oral medication intoxication. Here we report CT and autopsy findings for these cases. In all three cases, hyperdense areas within the stomach content were documented. The measurement of Hounsfield Units (HU) beyond 74HU showed mean values of 338, 88 and 98HU. Postmortem CT also showed brain edema and pulmonary aspiration in one case. At autopsy, tablet remains in the stomach were detected microscopically in all three cases. The ex vivo CT scans of the ingested medicaments showed similar HU values. Despite the fact that further case studies are necessary beyond this one, and in spite of its limitations, postmortem CT was found to be a useful screening and documentation method for stomach contents in oral medication intoxication.

Recent developments in clinical radiology have resulted in additional developments in the field of forensic radiology. After implementation of cross-sectional radiology and optical surface documentation in forensic medicine, difficulties in the validation and analysis of the acquired data was experienced. To address this problem and for the comparison of autopsy and radiological data a centralized database with internet technology for forensic cases was created. The main goals of the database are (1) creation of a digital and standardized documentation tool for forensic-radiological and pathological findings; (2) establishing a basis for validation of forensic cross-sectional radiology as a non-invasive examination method in forensic medicine that means comparing and evaluating the radiological and autopsy data and analyzing the accuracy of such data; and (3) providing a conduit for continuing research and education in forensic medicine. Considering the infrequent availability of CT or MRI for forensic institutions and the heterogeneous nature of case material in forensic medicine an evaluation of benefits and limitations of cross-sectional imaging concerning certain forensic features by a single institution may be of limited value. A centralized database permitting international forensic and cross disciplinary collaborations may provide important support for forensic-radiological casework and research.

Introduction Recent advances in medical imaging have brought post-mortem minimally invasive computed tomography (CT) guided percutaneous biopsy to public attention. Aims The goal of the following study was to facilitate and automate post-mortem biopsy, to suppress radiation exposure to the investigator, as may occur when tissue sampling under computer tomographic guidance, and to minimize the number of needle insertion attempts for each target for a single puncture. Methods and materials Clinically approved and post-mortem tested ACN-III biopsy core needles (14 gauge × 160 mm) with an automatic pistol device (Bard Magnum, Medical Device Technologies, Denmark) were used for probe sampling. The needles were navigated in gelatine/peas phantom, ex vivo porcine model and subsequently in two human bodies using a navigation system (MEM centre/ISTB Medical Application Framework, Marvin, Bern, Switzerland) with guidance frame and a CT (Emotion 6, Siemens, Germany). Results Biopsy of all peas could be performed within a single attempt. The average distance between the inserted needle tip and the pea centre was 1.4 mm (n = 10; SD 0.065 mm; range 0–2.3 mm). The targets in the porcine liver were also accurately punctured. The average of the distance between the needle tip and the target was 0.5 mm (range 0–1 mm). Biopsies of brain, heart, lung, liver, pancreas, spleen, and kidney were performed on human corpses. For each target the biopsy needle was only inserted once. The examination of one body with sampling of tissue probes at the above-mentioned locations took approximately 45 min. Conclusions Post-mortem navigated biopsy can reliably provide tissue samples from different body locations. Since the continuous update of positional data of the body and the biopsy needle is performed using optical tracking, no control CT images verifying the positional data are necessary and no radiation exposure to the investigator need be taken into account. Furthermore, the number of needle insertions for each target can be minimized to a single one with the ex vivo proven adequate accuracy and, in contrast to conventional CT guided biopsy, the insertion angle may be oblique. Navigation for minimally invasive tissue sampling is a useful addition to post-mortem CT guided biopsy.