Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology

 Hanging is a popular mean for suicide in India; the attempt frequently results in death. There are few cases reported in literature in which death has occurred after a certain period of time or the patient has survived after prolonged resuscitative measures. Most of such cases develop respiratory and neurological complications immediately after the incidence. Pulmonary edema is one of the most common complications that occur in patient of survivors of suicidal hanging. We report a case of suicidal hanging who developed pulmonary edema following the incidence.

 Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death of women and men worldwide. Approximately17.5 million people per year die due to this cause, representing 30% of all deaths in the world; of these, 7.6 million were caused by coronary heart disease. Aims and Objectives: To demonstrate the histopathological changes in the coronary arteries of the dead bodies of the sudden cardiac death. Study Design: It’s a cross sectional Retrospective study. Materials and methods: We performed an autopsy analysis (n=16, 5women, 11 men of SCD which occurred in patients aged over 50 years during 2011 to 2014. The following variables were considered: sex, age, medical history, autopsy findings to macroscopic and histological evaluation of the heart. The autopsies were performed according to standard techniques. In all subjects, the heart was dissected following standard autopsy protocol and a 5 cm section of the right coronary artery (RCA) in the atrio-ventricular groove from its origin, a 5 cm segment of the left anterior descending artery (LADA) distal to the origin of the circumflex artery, but including the region of origin of the circumflex branch and left coronary artery (LCA) from its origin till the circumflex branch were excised, dissected out, fixed in 10% formalin, marked for identification and sent for histopathological analysis. Observation and Discussion:  Atherosclerotic plaques were identified in 6.5% of specimens, 69% of males and 31% of female. Such plaques were typically concentric and more represented with necrosis, calcification, cholesterol crystals, and giant cells, as well as had a higher inflammatory cell count. Furthermore, intima and media thickness of coronary arteries were significantly higher in studied specimens with visualize the connective tissue layers of the adventitia and the fatty acid containing adipose cells in the periadventitial tissue. Conclusion: In this study, age estimate to be a risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis in individuals more than 50 years old and may be used to predict  SCD. Altogether, an enhanced understanding of the pathobiologic processes responsible for atherosclerotic changes might allow for early identification of a high-risk coronary plaque and there by provide a rationale for innovative diagnostic and/or therapeutic strategies for the management of coronary patients and prevention of acute coronary syndromes. 

 Background: Adolescence is a period in the life of human being, wherein they are subjected to face multiple factors which challenge their survival. Many people are facing them successfully. Some are becoming victimised for them and committing suicides. The study made on adolescents suicides to find out the precipitating factors which motivated to commit suicide. Many of these deaths can be prevented, because all the factors are found to be avoidable. Aims and Objectives: To analyse the age related problems faced by the adolescents which are leading to commit suicide, and to identify the precipitating factors in causation of such deaths. Study Design: It’s a cross sectional Prospective study. Material and Method: The medico legal Post-Mortem Examinations were conducted on the victims of suicides in the age group of thirteen to eighteen years in one year beginning from January to December. Data were collected from the Inquest, Panchanama of the scene of offence, hospital records, suicide notes and information gathered by personal enquiry with the relatives. Observation and Discussion: Physical illness is leading (24.8%) Table No. 1, among all suicides in adolescents. 12 students died among the 19 educated males for failure in their studies. Students who could not succeed in their competitive examinations were 8 in the present study, failed in 10th class were 3 and one student died for not clearing the 7th class. Punishments given by Parents and/or Teachers have resulted in 11 deaths in males and 8 deaths in females. The number of deaths occurring in the late period of adolescent i.e. 16 to 18 years are more, as they are reaching the adult stage do experience lot of stress and emotional turmoil. The rising expectations and responsibilities may create pressures for many of them. Conclusion: The identification of more specific risk factors of suicide will help better prediction of Suicidality and hence, better assessment process, better treatment and more targeted prevention programs.

 The method of suicide employed varies over time, with age, gender and sociocultural factors. We retrospectively analysed over a 10 year period, from January 2001 to December 2010 for cases of suicide in individuals above the age of 65 years, at Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Miraj, M.S. Total of 81 cases were found with an age range of 65-95 years (mean = 72.4 years) out of 4828 medicolegal autopsies. There were significantly more males than females (58:23). Hanging was found to be most common method (28/81; 34.57%), then poisoning (27/81; 33.33%). Burns and drowning cases were more in female.

 Burn injury is main issue among the people of India since long back from the history, creating a formidable public health problem. Our objective of the present study is to measure the magnitude and epidemiology of burn cases presented in the accident and emergency department of the hospital medical college and various medicolegal formalities to be followed while dealing of such cases. The present study was conducted at Clinical forensic Medicine Unit (CFMU) of the Rural Hospital of MGIMS, Sewagram. This unit is working under department of Forensic medicine and is situated at accident and emergency department of the hospital. The study only included burn cases which are reported live. In this study total 103 cases of burn injuries are observed during the period of one year. Out of these total 103 cases of 56(54.36%) were male and 47(45.63%) were female patient. Most commonly involved age group was 21-30 years. Among the various etiological type of burn injury, Flame burn was the most common type of burn injuries. Among the flame burn injuries involvement of female patient are more than male. Married female were more commonly involved than married males.