Archiwum medycyny sadowej i kryminologii最新文献

Post-aggressive suicide refers to a phenomenon that integrates the act of homicide with the subsequent suicide of the perpetrator. This pattern most commonly arises within the context of close emotional relationships, such as intimate partnerships or familial bonds. A defining feature of such cases is the motivational and causal continuity between the two phases - the suicide is typically a premeditated extension of the initial act of violence. This paper presents a case involving a male subject who, in a state of acute emotional agitation triggered by the breakdown of a relationship, inflicted multiple injuries to his partner's head, face, neck and shoulder, and subsequently died by suicide. The presence of similar wounds on both the victim and the perpetrator suggests a highly violent episode, marked by elements of both interpersonal aggression and self-inflicted harm. The psychological profile of the perpetrator indicates prolonged internal distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms in response to perceived rejection. This case study aims to contribute to the limited body of literature on post-aggressive suicide, a rare but clinically and forensically significant phenomenon wherein externalized violence is followed by self-directed fatality.

The aim of the study: The aim of the study was to accurately determine the incidence of white autopsies and to identify possible conditions responsible for such autopsies by means of analyzing confirmed causes of death in the same age group.

Material and methods: We searched autopsy reports from the Department of Forensic Medicine (Jagiellonian University, Medical College) from years 2009-2022 for cases of sudden death in the age group 2-40 years old. Exclusion criteria involved: death caused by trauma or other external factors, subject at an advanced stage of decomposition, in-hospital death.

Results: A review of 900 included cases yielded a total of 97 cases in which the post-mortem examinations did not disclose the cause of death, although only in 20 of those cases all diagnostic measures, including toxicology examination, were used. The average annual incidence of these cases is ca. 7 p.a. We also analyzed the reported causes of death to identify such conditions which both occur relatively often and might not provide any morphological alterations in autopsy; such as: non-ethanol poisonings (143), death due to epileptic seizure, not caused by seizure-connected trauma or aspiration of gastric contents into the respiratory tract (38), myocarditis (37).

Conclusions: The incidence of white autopsies at our center appears to be higher than previously estimated, partly due to the fact that negative autopsies are often not supplemented with additional examinations (toxicology and histopathology). An analysis of confirmed causes of sudden death in the same age group allowed us to identify at least 3 fatal conditions which might leave no trace in autopsy and thus be responsible for at least some of the white autopsy cases. It seems recommendable to include targeted investigations designed to better detect those conditions (non-ethanol poisoning, sudden death in epilepsy, myocarditis) in an algorithm for proceeding in cases of autopsy failure.

Exhumation refers to the extraction of a body or human remains for the purpose of conducting forensic or medical examinations (e.g., to determine or confirm the cause of death), or for transferring the remains to another grave. Exhumations may also be performed under other circumstances and constitute one of the stages in beatification and canonization proceedings. In such cases, the provisions of the Code of Canon Law apply. Between 1989 and 2000, medical experts from the Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Toxicology in Katowice participated on three occasions in activities involving exhumation, canonical recognition of mortal remains, and the transfer of remains to new burial sites. This paper presents those cases, outlines the course of medical and judicial procedures, and discusses the legal and ecclesiastical aspects of beatification and canonization processes.

The study analyzed historical data relating to Professor Włodzimierz Jan Sieradzki, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Lviv University, from 1898 to 1940. The analysis utilized documents from the Lviv Oblast State Archives, the Danylo Halytsky National Medical University in Lviv, and the archives of Ivan Franko State University in Lviv, as well as publications from journals from the 20th and 21st centuries. Sieradzki specialized in forensic medicine, biology, and criminal anthropology. His "Wachholz-Sieradzki test" for detecting carbon monoxide gained worldwide recognition. He documented his forensic findings in 31 articles and supervised four dissertations. From 1905, he headed the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Lviv University, conducting sanitary and police tanatopsis as a city prosecutor and forensic expert. Throughout his career, he held key positions: dean (1908-1909, 1919-1921), vice-dean (1909-1910, 1921-1922), part-time head of Pathological Anatomy and Experimental Pathology (1915), rector (1924-1925), and vice-rector (1926-1927). He co-founded and first edited the Lviv Medical Journal, collaborated with the Polish Medical Journal, chaired the Lviv Medical Society, and was involved in various forensic medicine associations. He also participated in the Galician Medical Society. For his services, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and the Knight's Cross of the French Legion of Honor. In 1948, the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Medical University of Wrocław was named after him, and plaques commemorating Sieradzki and other victims were placed at the execution sites in Lviv during the German occupation.

Falls from heights constitute the second most common cause of suicides in Poland, often resulting in multiple organ injuries. This paper describes a rare case of a 32-year-old man who died after jumping from a four-story building. The autopsy and post-mortem computed tomography analysis revealed a unique coexistence of injuries characteristic of a fall onto extended lower limbs, such as a circular fracture of the base of the skull as well as multiple fractures of the spine, pelvis, and lower limbs. The geodetic analysis enabled the determination of the fall height and flight range, which facilitated further conclusions regarding the active phase of movement and the verification of the circumstances of the event. This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach in evaluating the mechanisms of injuries caused by falls from heights. The use of post-mortem computed tomography, supplemented by geodetic data and traditional biomechanical methods, allows for a detailed assessment of the nature of injuries and the circumstances of the event. This type of multidimensional analysis enables more precise differentiation of injury mechanisms and reasoning about the cause of the fall, which is crucial in forensic practice.

The aim of the study: Presentation of the practical application of neuropathological examination in forensic medical practice. Emphasizing the usefulness of rarely utilized neuropathological examinations, particularly in cases of deaths with unclear neurological etiology.

Case description: A 46-year-old woman with alcohol addiction passed away due to encephalopathy, clinically identified as toxic encephalopathy. A standard autopsy did not allow for a definitive determination of the cause of death. Thanks to the conducted neuropathological examination, which revealed extensive demyelination, and the analysis of the treatment course, the toxic cause of death was ruled out, leading to the diagnosis of osmotic demyelination syndrome resulting from overly rapid correction of hyponatremia. .

Conclusions: This case highlights the crucial role of neuropathology in post-mortem diagnostics and underscores the need for developing guidelines and educating prosecutors on its application in forensic autopsies.

The aim of the study: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a quantitative analysis procedure for four benzodiazepines (alprazolam, diazepam, flunitrazepam, clonazepam) and one Z-drug (zolpidem), applied to cotton material and Whatman® 903 cards in the form of blood spots.

Material and methods: The extraction was conducted using a mixture of phosphate-carbonate buffer pH=6, acetonitrile, and methanol. The blood spots were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

Results: All calibration curves maintained linearity (R²>0.995) in the concentration ranges of 1-50 ng/ml on cotton material and Whatman ® 903 cards. The Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantitation (LOQ) for the analyzed substances were in the ranges of 0.04- 0.40 ng/ml (LOD) and 0.12-1.08 ng/ml (LOQ) isolated from Whatman® 903 cards, and 0.06-1.15 ng/ml (LOD) and 0.17-2.04 ng/ml (LOQ) isolated from cotton. Accuracy for concentrations of 5 ng/ml, 10 ng/ml, and 50 ng/ml was comparable in both groups, ranging from 76-101% for Whatman® 903 cards and 73-117% for cotton. No significant matrix effect was observed on the quantitative results of the analyzed benzodiazepines.

Conclusions: In the presented study, a qualitative and quantitative analysis procedure for four xenobiotics from the benzodiazepine group and zolpidem, applied as dried blood spots on cotton material and Whatman® 903 cards, was developed and validated. The extraction method presented focused on isolating xenobiotics from blood spots of known volume. Sample extraction using a simple liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) technique creates opportunities for applying the described method to real samples secured on cotton material or stored on Whatman® 903 cards.

The court experts and the opinions prepared by them, play an important role in criminal proceedings, especially in connection with the intensive development of forensic science and forensic techniques. In such conditions, evidence obtained from expert opinions often plays the inglorious role of resolving important trial issues. It should be noted that the average judge do not have knowledge of all scientific fields. By extension, they must base their judgments on knowledge and someone else's experience. These people are called court experts. Currently, there are over 19 440 court experts in Poland listed on the lists kept by the presidents of district courts. To draw up opinions, judges also appoints ad hoc experts due to their specialized knowledge. As a result, the number of people who draw up opinions for courts increases to 20,000. Out of so many people drawing up opinions for courts, there are only six from the bloodstain pattern analysis. Moreover, only four of them were renewed by courts in 2024.