Kraftfahrzeugbrand

Most deaths occurring in connection with car fires are the result of traffic accidents. With regard to differential diagnosis, suicides and homicides also have to be kept in mind. Compared with other charred bodies, for example from house fires, they show stronger consumption by the fire, which makes it more difficult to assess the case at autopsy and to identify the victims. In fires occurring after traffic accidents, the question to be answered is whether death was caused by the fire or by any accident-related injuries. While in the presence of potentially fatal injuries perimortem burning has to be discussed, it may be difficult to differentiate peracute death due to the effect of heat from purely postmortem burning. The most important signs of vital exposure to the fire are soot deposits in the respiratory tract, the oesophagus and the stomach as well as an elevated COHb concentration in the corpse blood. In deaths occurring after car fires due to collisions, the COHb values are usually <40%, often even <20%. Higher values are seen especially when the fire started in the passenger compartment.     

Veridical causal inference using propensity score methods for comparative effectiveness research with medical claims

Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology - Medical insurance claims are becoming increasingly common data sources to answer a variety of questions in biomedical research. Although...     

Beitrag zum Spasmus facialis

Zusammenfassung Bericht über klinisch-neurologische, elektromyographische, neurographische und nystagmographische Befunde bei 20 Fällen von Spasmus facialis. Diskussion der klinischen Phänomene unter dem Aspekt der parabiotischen Schädigung des n. facialis und der Ephapsen-Theorie. Es werden Überlegungen zur Lokalisation der Facialis-Läsion angestellt und die für die Entstehung der parabiotischen Veränderung in Frage kommenden ätiologischen Faktoren besprochen. Zur Pathogenese wird eine chronische, subklinisch verlaufende Vorschädigung des n. facialis angenommen, in deren Bereich sich nach Entwicklung zusätzlicher, als Auslöser wirkender Funktionsstörungen pathologische Übergangsstellen zwischen den Nervenfasern als Ephapsen bilden können. Zu den therapeutischen Möglichkeiten wird Stellung genommen.     

The Impact of Psychiatric Disorders on Employment: Results from a National Survey (NESARC)

In this study we examine the longitudinal effects of psychiatric and substance use disorders on employment, in an employed population. The sample included respondents to the National epidemiologic survey on alcohol related conditions (NESARC) who were employed at Wave 1 (N = 22,407). Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted examining the associations between 12-month and new onset 12-month psychiatric diagnoses at Wave 1 and employment status at Wave 2. Past year and new onset 12-month depression, 12-month bipolar, new onset 12-month drug abuse, and 12-month and new onset 12-month drug dependence were associated with a decreased odds of being employed at Wave 2. This study suggests that it would be beneficial for employers to support their employees in participating in mental health treatment. Additionally, understanding how psychiatric disorders influence employment over the life course might inform the development of preemptive interventions to treat mental health symptoms.     

Kaffeegenuss mit anticholinergen Nebenwirkungen

One morning in November a physician and his partner showed anticholinergic symptoms of varying intensity shortly after enjoying a cup of coffee at breakfast time. The coffee had been prepared in the fully automatic coffee machine of the physician. In the toxicological investigations atropine and scopolamine could be detected in the sample of water from the reservoir tank and in the urine of the victims. It was suspected that the ex-partner of the male victim had wanted to poison them with extracts of Angel’s Trumpet. Within the framework of the police investigations experiments were carried out to examine how much atropine and scopolamine could be extracted from the flowers of Angel’s Trumpet and the concentration of these substances in coffee after the brewing procedure of the fully automatic coffee machine. The investigations showed that the brewing procedure led to a reduction of the concentrations but not to a complete loss of the poisonous substances.     

Metabolomics in postmortem cerebrospinal fluid diagnostics: a state-of-the-art method to interpret central nervous system–related pathological processes

International Journal of Legal Medicine - In the last few years, quantitative analysis of metabolites in body fluids using LC/MS has become an established method in laboratory medicine and...     

Use of Clergy Services among Individuals Seeking Treatment for Alcohol Use Problems

This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of adults with an alcohol use‐related problem who receive clergy services. Data come from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Among persons who sought any services for alcohol‐related problems (n = 1,910), 14.7% reported using clergy services. In a multivariable logistic regression model, factors associated with increased likelihood of service use included being Black, aged 35–54 years, a lifetime history of alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder, and personality disorder. Clergy may benefit from training to identify alcohol use problems and serve an important role in making treatment referrals. (Am J Addict 2010;00:1–7)