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Background: Nails are one of the objects that are more durable than other witness objects. This study was interested in whether the Spin column-based nucleic acid purification technique could extract DNA from nails to give satisfactory results. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the yield and quality of DNA extracted from the nail. Materials and Methods: Nail samples from 15 males and 15 females over 18 were extracted using GeneAll® Exgene™ Cell SV Mini Kit. The DNA concentration and purity were measured using a NanoDrop Spectrophotometer, and the quality of DNA was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers specific for human growth hormone (HGH). Results: The average yield of DNA was 0.816 μg (0.141–2.706 μg) obtained from the average nail weight of 30.2 mg (22.2–40.0 mg). The average DNA concentration was 27.2 ng/μL (4.7–90.2 ng/μL), corresponding to 30 μL in volume. Almost all DNA samples (96.7%) had high purity (A260/A280 ≥1.80) and gave a band of PCR product of the HGH gene on agarose gel electrophoresis. Conclusion: Spin column-based nucleic acid purification is recommended for nail DNA extraction due to its simplicity and high quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, there have been no major studies of alcohol‐associated unnatural deaths in Thailand or South East Asia. Thailand leads South East Asia in per capita alcohol consumption. The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of alcohol‐associated unnatural deaths in Thailand and their relation to post‐mortem blood alcohol concentration (BAC); to investigate correlations between BAC and selected demographic variables; and to evaluate the incidence of co‐use of alcohol and illicit substances. Methods: We conducted a retrospective register‐based study of alcohol‐investigated unnatural deaths in Thailand for the period 2007–2019. The core study sample (n = 77,006) was derived from a Thai government computerized database of unnatural‐death autopsies. Results: Of the total autopsy sample 32.49% was alcohol positive (BAC ≥0.20 g/L). The rate at which male autopsy cases were alcohol positive (35.52%) was approximately twice that of female autopsy cases (16.62%), with males having significantly higher median BAC levels, 1.64 and 1.31 g/L, respectively. The incidence of female alcohol‐positive cases with extremely high BACs (≥3.50 g/L) was comparable to that of male alcohol‐positive autopsies. The rates at which victims of accidents, homicides, and suicides were alcohol positive were 42.44%, 38.81%, and 33.25%, respectively. Drowning fatalities had the highest rate of alcohol detection (49.12%) and the highest median BAC (2.47 g/L). The next highest rate (48.47%) was among road traffic fatalities (RTFs, BAC 1.92 g/L), which accounted for about one‐half of all RTFs and one‐third of all alcohol‐positive autopsies. Of the total alcohol‐positive population, 8.33% tested positive for illicit substances, most commonly methamphetamine/amphetamine. Conclusions: BAC results for the majority of male and female alcohol‐positive victims exceeded the generally accepted threshold for Heavy Episodic Drinking (0.8 g/L) and provided a rare BAC‐documented (≥3.50 g/L) example of gender parity in the incidence of heavy alcohol consumption. The median BAC value for alcohol‐positive RTFs (1.92 g/L) was about 10% higher than in studies in most other countries and about four times greater the Thai legal limit for motor‐vehicle operation (0.50 g/L). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Postmortem CT (PMCT) can help conventional autopsy in determining the cause of death and finding injury to various organs. Since injuries among several vital organs in the thorax can cause death, this research aims to assess the performance of PMCT in detecting injuries of the thoracic cavity organs. Materials and Method: A total of 56 dead bodies by unnatural traumatic death who underwent PMCT before autopsy were collected. Thoracic traumatic findings from PMCT were compared with data obtained from conventional autopsy wherethe autopsy was the reference standard and calculated for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy. Results:Findings in which PMCT showed high sensitivity included air (100%) and fluid (86.67%). Interms of bone fracture, sensitivity and accuracy were79.18% and 88.69%, respectively, especially for T-spine fractures (sensitivity 92.31%, accuracy 87.50%) and clavicle fractures (sensitivity 90%, accuracy 89.29%). For rib fractures, PMCTexhibited moderate to high sensitivity (68.18-91.67%) and high accuracy (78.57-98.21%). For soft tissueinjuries, PMCT had high specificity (99.21%), but low sensitivity (34.94%). Conclusion: PMCT is useful in detecting thoracic injuries in conjunction with the conventional autopsy by helping to diagnose bone fractures, abnormal air, and fluid with high sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This analysis considers the prevalence of internal organ injuries sustained from CPR in autopsied individuals who died from natural causes as well as correlations between internal organ injury and various potentially-related factors. Methods: This analysis is a descriptive retrospective study which makes use of filed autopsy reports of individuals who died of unnatural causes. Autopsies were carried out at the Forensic Pathology Laboratory between 2012 and 2016. Excluded individuals who died due to accident and sustained trauma or injury to chest and abdominal areas as well as individuals who were younger than 18. Results: This study comprised 154 individuals of which 122 males, and 32 females. Age distribution was between 18 and 82 years. This study found that injuries resulting from CPR administration were found in 83.11% of cases. The most frequent injury including ribs, sternum, and heart at 43.36%, 25.86%, and 10.33%, respectively. This study also found various types of abdominal and spine injury due to CPR. Statistical consideration of potentially correlated variables revealed that age was statistically significant (p=0.001) in relation to CPR, while sex and BMI were found to not exhibit statistically significant (p=0.203, p=0.351, respectively) in relation to CPR Conclusion: Nature of CPR techniques it is possible that injury may be sustained to internal organs. It was seen that age have potential correlations with injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) is a rare disease but commonly found in lethal neonatal skeletal dysplasia, which is caused by pR248C mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene. The incidence is found 1 in 15,000-40,000 births. There are two types including type I and type II by primarily determining skull and femur shape. TD type I found bowed femurs but not commonly found cloverleaf-shaped skull while TD type II found cloverleaf skull but femur was straight. Present report reveals a case of forensic autopsy of male death fetus in utero, which was diagnosed to be TD type I where large head with prominent forehead bones (frontal bossing), depressed nasal bridge, mesomelia of legs, platyspondyly, curved of both humeri and femurs, and lung hypoplasia. Femoral epiphyseal growth plate retardation and disorganization was found microscopically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the trends related to homicide victims in central Bangkok, Thailand. These trends were analyzed in terms of general figures and demographics, as well as case-specific details such as time, day, month, weapon, cause of death, location of injury and toxicology. Data was collected using autopsy archives from 2009 to 2013 and specific details were recorded and analyzed statistically.Results: Major trends identified included generally decreasing rates of homicide, larger proportions of male victims, higher rates of homicide during the hotter months of the summer, and the most common weapon being firearms and sharp force. Also consistent with global trends is a majority of victims being unmarried. Unique to the Thai population, due to social and legal factors, included the frequency of firearm and sharp force injuries, as well as methamphetamine being the most common psychoactive substance found in victim toxicology. Furthermore, many unique points, such as the correlation between the cause of death and the type of force, were made.Conclusions: Several characteristics of homicide that are similar to global trends have been found in this study. However, some trends were found differed from other countries included the anthropometric data, the types of forces and its relationship to location, as well as which psychoactive substances were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide is one of the most important causes of death in the world. To study the behaviors and risk factors may be helpful to prevent suicide., Objective: To retrospectively study the factors that affected suicide in forensic postmortem cases at Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand between 2001 and 2010., Material and Method: Two hundred ninety suicidal cases from 7,102 forensic postmortem autopsies in Ramathibodi Hospital between 2001 and 2010 were descriptively retrospective studied. Study topics included sex, age, nationality, year, methods of suicide, and HIV., Results: The suicide-rate in the present study varied between 2.53% and 6.91% (average 4.08%) of the forensic autopsy cases. The peak was found in 2003. Males had higher suicide rate than females [ratio of M:F of 4.3:1 (235 males and 55 females)]. The age varied from seven years to 91 years. Although the average age of suicide was 37.38 years, the peak was found in the young adult (age group of 21 to 30 years). Male, younger age, and foreigner were related to suicide with statistical significance. Hanging was the most frequent method of suicide followed by fall from height (62.1% and 17.2% respectively) and by firearm (in male) and toxic substance ingestion (in females). Of all the suicide, 5.1% were HIV seropositive, which is slightly more than non-HIV cases (4.0%) but this was not statistically significant., Conclusion: The suicidal cases among unusual death were related to varieties of factors. Male, younger age, and foreigner were significant related to suicide. Hanging and falling from height were the most frequent method of suicide.