A 13-Year National Monitoring Study to Assess Narcotic Prescriptions and Indications (2007–2019)

Drug Safety - Analgesics are among the most widely used drugs worldwide. This study describes the population treated with narcotic analgesics, their therapeutic indications and how the data have...     

Hymenal examination of under age children with a context of sexual assault

The hymeneal examination is often considered as the key of the gyneacological examination of a young girl victim of sexual assault, mainly because the concept of penetration is important under the French criminal code. However, the amount medical literature related to this topic is poor. The hymen examination must be conducted under strict conditions, by qualified personnel and as soon as possible after the alleged assault.The only kind of anomaly that can confirm a penetration is an injury to the posterior hymen extending up its base. The sensitivity of this sign is, however, low and its absence does not suggest that of penetration. A vaginal penetration does not always break the hymen, especially among adolescents. Moreover, the hymen can heal and thus it makes the examination difficult when it occurs a long time after the facts. Examination of the hymen is rarely the decisive factor in the forensic assessment of a young victim of sexual assault.     

Establishment of the medico-legal cause of death in two atypical cases of gas embolism in hospital: Importance of the scene

Two cases of lethal gas embolism occurring in a hospital setting are presented. These did not differ with regards to the medical cause of death (MCOD), but did so with regard to the medico-legal cause of death (MLCOD). In the first case, the immediate recognition of a suspicious death and subsequent conservation of the scene led to a certain MLCOD (autolysis). In the second case, the death was initially treated as of natural cause. The subsequent disruption of the scene of death led to loss of evidence essential to establish the MLCOD, that was concluded to be undetermined. These cases illustrate the importance of medico-legal treatment of scenes of death to arrive at the MLCOD, and that the hospital setting is no exception especially as in view of potential medical liability.