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Aim: Differentiation of natural and forced deaths observed in this age group is very important in the forensic medicine practice. According to the address based population registration system, population rate of 65 years and older has been 9.5% of the total population in 2020. In the present study, we aimed to medicolegal evaluation of demographic data and autopsy findings of judicial geriatric deaths in Bursa and around.Material and Method: Autopsy reports of the cases who have been taken to Morgue Specialization Office of Council of Forensic Medicine Institution and at 65 years and over, crime scene and deceased examination reports and data in the prosecution documents were assessed retrospectively between 2003-2008 in our study. Results: During 6-year period, totally 5155 autopsies have been investigated in Morg Specialization Office of Bursa Council of Forensic Medicine Institution. Among such cases, 870 (16.8%) were 65 years old and older. Cases who were 65 years old and older included 640 (73.6%) were male, 230 (26.4%) were female. In terms of death origin, 434 (49.9%) were natural deaths, 267 (30.7%) were accidents, 102 (11.7%) were suicides and 52 (6%) were homicides. Origin of death of the remaining 15 (1.7%) could not be detected. According to the information obtained from the statements of the witnesses in crime scene investigation and dead body examination reports, a previous disease existed in 336 (38.6%) cases before death. Diseases which have been existing before death includes cardiac diseases, hypertension, central nervous system pathologies, diabetes mellitus, respiratory system pathologies, undefined psychiatric disorders, gastrointestinal system pathologies and malignancies, respectively to frequency.Conclusion: In line with prolongation of life expectancy and increase in the geriatric population, it is observed according to our outcomes that an increase is detected in judicial geriatric death cases due to neuropsychiatric disease, leading a solitary life and psychomotor imbalance.

Background: The determination of sex and estimation of age are parameters that help in the identification of individuals in all fields of forensic science. The aim of this study was to calculate standard measurements according to sex and age in morphometric analysis of the 4th costa using multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT). Material and Method: Measurements were taken on MSCT images of patients aged 20-70 years, who had undergone CT imaging for various reasons. Using the morphometric characteristics of the 4th costa and junction with the spine on the thorax CT images, measurements were taken of the angulation of the right and left 4th costa, the distance between the sternum and the vertebra, the distance between the two costae, the distance between the two ends of the right and left 4th costa separately, and the depth of the two costae. Adding age and gender to these variables, 10 parameters were evaluated in total. Results: As a result of the analyses, the mean values of right costovertebral angle, sternum-vertebra distance, inter-costal distance, left and right costa lengths, and left costa depth were found to be statistically significant according to sex. In the differentiation of age groups, the right costovertebral angle, the sternum- vertebra distance, and the right and left costa lengths were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study of a Turkish population showed that the morphometric properties of the 4th costa show differences in the determination of age and sex. With the benefit of these differences, it is possible to differentiate males and females, and even age groups. As there are societal differences, standard morphometric values have to be determined so it will be necessary to conduct these studies more widely and obtain appropriate standard values for every population.

ÖZETGelişen teknolojiler doğrultusunda estetik ve kozmetik girişimlerde yeni teknikler gelişmesi sebebiyle, girişim miktarında ve talebinde artış izlenmektedir. Buna bağlı olarak son yıllarda tıbbi uygulama hatası iddialarında belirgin artış izlenmektedir. Çalışmada Adli Tıp Kurumu 3. İhtisas Kurulu’nca 2007-2011 yılları arasında görüş bildirilen estetik ve kozmetik girişimler ile ilgili tıbbi uygulama hatası iddiası bulunan 134 olgu incelenmiştir. Olguların 38’i erkek, 96’sı kadın, yaş ortalaması ise 39,5±1,2 idi. Olguların büyük çoğunluğuna Özel Hastanelerde girişim uygulanmıştı. (47%). Olguların 29’una (%21,6) kusur verilmiş olup, 17’si (%12) hakkında çeşitli sebeplerle görüş bildirilememişti. Kusur bulunan gruptaki girişim bölgesi çoklu olanlar kusur bulunmayan gruptan istatistiksel olarak anlamlı şekilde yüksek saptanmıştır (p

Aim: Vascular and cardiac injuries are rare cases compared to other traumas in terms of admission rates to emergency services. Vascular emergencies secondary to trauma are among 1-2.5% of all trauma patients admitted to the emergency department. In addition, the admission rate of heart injuries is around 1%. With this study, we will analyze and interpret cardio-vascular injuries, which are rare compared to other traumas, from a forensic-medical aspect.Material and Method: This study is a retrospective cohort study using data from our hospital's automation and archive system. Patients who developed iatrogenic trauma, had solid organ injury in addition to their existing injury, were brought to the emergency room as deceased, and patients who came to the emergency room with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation were not included in the study. A total of 411 cases, 88 cardiac injuries and 323 vascular injuries, aged 16-82 years were included in the study.Results: In the 5-year analysis, the rate of life-threatening injuries due to cardiac and vascular injuries among cardiovascular emergencies is 22%. 88 patients with cardiac injury were included in this study.18 (20.5%) of the patients were female and 70 (79.5%) were male. The most common injury sites were upper extremity (43.7%), lower extremity (25.7%), thorax (21.4%), abdomen-pelvic region (4.1%), head-neck (2.6%), multiple vascular injury (2.1%), respectively.Conclusion: Cardiovascular injuries are among the traumas with high mortality and morbidity. It is important that the cases consulted to cardiovascular surgery in the emergency department are forensic cases and that the forensic reports of these cases are carefully prepared.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with bipolar disorder have motor skill deficiency and cognitive dysfunction. It is suggested that these deficiencies are related to the neurodevelopmental course of the disease. The aim of this study was to examine whether or not there was a change in the handwriting of patients with bipolar disorder in periods of mania and remission. METHOD: Two samples of handwriting and signature were taken from the cases, one on admission before treatment and one just after discharge. The first sample was taken in the period when the patients hospitalised with manic episode before medications and the second sample was taken in remission when the decision for discharge was made. The handwriting changes betwen the manic episode and the remission period were examined. RESULTS: In the examination of the handwriting between the two periods, there was an increase in the size of the writing, pen pressure, the length of words, the spaces between words, and missing and incorrect punctuation marks in the manic episode. There were no differences in any handwriting measure on function of the specific diagnosis or the antipsychotic dose but tremor count was higher in patients using antipsychotics (p

Aim: Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) were initially developed in 1960s to target the cannabinoid receptors in medical therapy. However, in recent years, the developed SC derivatives by processing the plant-based material have been sold on websites under the name of natural drugs. The city of Malatya is located at the eastern part of Turkey and has an important location for the transfer and marketing of narcotic substances. In our study, presentation of the socio-demographic characteristics of the cases, the SC was determined in whose blood samples in the analyses, living in Malatya and the surrounding cities-districts were aimed. Materials and Methods: In the scope of study, 275 cases whose blood samples was sent to the Chemistry Department in Forensic Medicine Institute at Malatya Group Presidency in 2016 and were detected as SC-positive by the chemical analysis were investigated. Results: Out of 275 cases, 97.8% were male, 2.2% were female. Median age was 24, 66.5% (n=180) of them were primary school, 18% (n=51) were high school graduate and 0.7% (n=2) were university graduate. The educational status of 27 cases could not be obtained. Conclusion: SC derivatives are marketed with slogan of “the natural ones are harmless”, and their use among the young people is rapidly becoming widespread. In our study, it was determined that the SC users are in the young age group and have low educational status. In order to decrease the number of users, awareness meetings regarding the harmful effects of SC must be organized in the educational institutions.

A venous air embolism can occur as a result of circumstances that include blunt head or chest trauma, thoracentesis, arterial catheterization, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, and Caisson disease. The formation of a venous air embolism requires an air source, interaction between the air source and the vessel, and a pressure gradient supporting air migration into the vessel. Air enters through the impaired venous structure and travels to the right side of the heart and the pulmonary arteries, and depending on the amount of air, may occasionally be fatal. This report is the description of the case of a 3-year-old child who developed a fatal venous and cerebral embolism during neurosurgery for the treatment of skull fractures with epidural and subdural bleeding due to blunt head and chest trauma resulting from a television falling on her. The pathophysiology of death and notes regarding the medico-legal autopsy procedure in such cases are discussed. Meticulous autopsy techniques must be used to determine the presence of an air embolism in cases of blunt trauma, especially in patients with blunt trauma to the head who die during neurosurgery, and possible future malpractice claims should be kept in mind.

A component of lighters refill tubes, butane is a colourless and flammable substance with gasoline-like or natural gas odour. The abuse of easily accessible lighter gas butane is increasing among children and adolescants and this abuse causes euphoric effects. Inhalants are the most commonly used drug after alcohol and tobacco among adolescents. In the literature, it is reported that butane inhalation directly affects central nervous system, respiratory and cardiovasculer systems. To prevent this increasing trend, we believe that society, especially youth, should be educated through precautionary educational activities, sales of lighter refill tubes should be monitored and be made age-restricted, and lighter refill tubes should have warning signs that everyone would understand and attract attention. We present a case of the sudden death of a seventeen-year-old male due to inhaling butane containing lighter refill gas with friends along with the autopsy findings and the results of toxicology and histopathology investigations.

Background: Upper respiratory tract infections are common in the community and pseudoephedrine preparations are widely used in the treatment as a decongestant drug. However, pseudoephedrine has serious side effects on the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Although cases of infant death due to overdose have been reported in literature, pseudoephedrine toxicity has not been observed in adults as a cause of suicide in literature. Case Presentation: The case is an 18-year old female who committed suicide with pseudoephedrine sulfate preparation. Care and attention must be paid as pseudoephedrine preparations are easily accessible, widely used and an overdose can cause death in adults.