An epidemiological survey of fatal road traffic accidents and their relationship with head injuries.

Death from road traffic accidents (RTA) and in particular Motor vehicle Traffic Accidents have been characterized worldwide as a hidden epidemic which affects all sectors of society. It account for 2.1% of global mortality. A retrospective study of fatal cases of RTA was conducted at Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Belgaum, Karnataka, India between 1-1-2004 to 31-12-2009. The majority of victims belonged to the age group 31-40 years (145 cases; 28.7%). Female were less involved than men with ratio of 1: 3.3. In our present study total vehicular accident fatalities comprised 506 (48.7 %) out of total 1039 medico legal cases autopsied during five years (2005 to 2009). Our study shows the overwhelming majority of the deceased (76.9%) were males. This study shows that most of the deaths in road traffic accidents, take place either within 24 hours or on the spot of injury which is very alarming and highlights the need for taking urgent steps for establishing good pre-hospital care and provision of trauma services at site in India.

Accidental mass poisoning in children: A case report.

Accidental poisoning, a common paediatric emergency, is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality in children. More than half of all cases reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers involve children under the age of six. And sadly, the majority of these accidental poisonings occur at home. However in India, the precise incidence of accidental poisoning among children is uncertain due to lack of reporting of all the cases. In India, pesticides are used abundantly for cultivation and are stored negligently at home, making them a potential source of accidental poisoning in children especially in rural areas. The best way to minimize paedi-atric accidental poisoning is by creating awareness about safe use and storage of poisonous substances and constant supervision of children. A case of accidental paedi-atric mass poisoning due to organophosphorus pesticide is being reported in this article.

Incidence of snake bites in Belgaum.

Belgaum is surrounded by rivers and ever-green dense forests and is home for many wild creatures. People here usually come in contact with these wild creatures, specially snakes. Hence a prospective study was undertaken to find out incidence of snake bites which were admitted to District Hospital, Belgaum over a period of one year from September 2000 to August 2001. District Hospital, Belgaum is a referral hospital which caters to the needs of public within a radius of 100 km. Out of 290 poisoning cases, 40 were snake bites. Among them 25 cases were poisonous snakebites. The maximum number of patients were in the age group of 21 to 40 years and least were above 40 years. Males predominated, females in the ratio 3: 2. The bites were most commonly found on the lower limbs. Maximum snake bite cases were observed in monsoon. Maximum victims were agricultural workers who work in out-fields. The maximum victims belonged to rural areas.

Battered child: A case report.

A four year old Muslim female child came with alleged h/o fall in school with bluish discoloration around the left eye, neck, back and limbs. The paediatrician suspected this to be a case of bleeding disorder because of family history as her elder sister was suffering from platelet disorder. Finally it turned out to be a physical assault case with no any ill or evil intention.