Clinico-pathological profile in deaths due to burns.

Burn injuries occur universally and have plagued mankind since antiquity till the present day. Burns represent an extremely stressful experience for both the burn victims as well as their families. An extensive burn profoundly affects the patient's physique, psyche, financial situation and family. Patients with extensive burns frequently die, and for those with lesser injury, physical recovery is slow and painful. In addition to their dramatic physical effects, burn injuries frequently cause deleterious psychological complications. In all societies including developed or developing countries, burns constitute, a medical and psychological problem, but also have severe economic and social consequences not only to them, but also to their family and society ingeneral.24% cases were not hospitalized. 40% cases died within 24 hours of sustaining burns. 38% cases were unconscious before death. 66% cases had given dying declaration Mechanical injuries were present in 10% cases. 84% cases of total cases were alleged cases of accident. The major cause of death was Septicemic shock in 56% cases.

A two-year burns fatality study.

A severe burn injury is the most devastating injury a person can sustain and yet hope to survive. It is a common catastrophe today as burn injury cases are one of the common emergencies admitted to any hospital. There are several social, economic, cultural and psychological factors interplaying which influence the reporting, treatment, management and if the patient dies the further investigations. As the etiological factors of burn injuries vary considerably in different communities, careful analysis of the epidemiological features in every community is needed before a sound prevention programme can be planned and implemented. When stratified by age, more females were found in most age groups. Most burns were domestic, with cooking being the most prevalent activity. The maximum incidence of burn injuries in males were noted in the age group of 21-30 years. 56% cases who suffered burns were housewives.26% females had 91-100% burns. Smell of kerosene was present in 4% cases. Maximum burns were of 3rd degree with 28% males and 54% females. Head & neck were involved in 94% cases Extremities were involved in all cases.

Fatal road traffic accidents among young children.

Fatal road traffic accidents in childhood constitute a significant public health problem. Young children are extremely vulnerable to such injuries which are vastly preventable. 59 cases of fatal road traffic accidents in children aged below 16 years, autopsied during 1 year period were studied. Males accounted for 83.1% cases with male-female ratio of 4.9. The most common age group involved was 13-16 years. The most frequent victims of road traffic accidents were pedestrians (61%) followed by cyclists (13.6%). More than half of the cases occurred in winter season and majority occurred at 12-4 PM. Children themselves were at fault in majority of cases. Head injury alone was fatal in 72.9% cases. None of the victim received any treatment or first-aid at the site of accident. 72.9% of victims died with in 6 hrs of accident. The study highlights the pattern of fatalities due to road accidents in children and suggests suitable preventive measures to reduce burden of childhood mortality due to road accidents.

The responsibility on the shoulders of courts and doctors to provide proper legal protection to rape victim.

Rape is not only a crime against the person of a woman; it is a crime against the entire society. It destroys, as noted by the Supreme Court [1], the entire psychology of a woman and pushes her into deep emotional crisis. It is a crime against basic human rights, and is also violative of the victim's most cherished of the Fundamental Rights, namely, the Right to Life contained in Article 21 of the Constitution of India, 1950. The low rate of convictions in cases of rape raises serious questions about the workings of the law. The amendments seem to have had little effect and merit closer examination. There is reluctant recognition of the amendments and its swamping under pre-conceived notions. After more than two decades since legal reforms gave rape victims more leverage in the courtroom; we need to change society’s attitude towards rape.

Revenge by the bites.

Bite marks are important evidences, which are most often ignored by the investigating officers in India. Sometimes due to lack of this knowledge, let the culprit go Scot-free. Bite marks help to link the culprit with the crime. It is important scientific evidence, which if properly collected and analyzed can help, in successful prosecution of the case. Analysis of a case of bite marks is presented here by which culprit could be identified.

Recent scenario of criminal negligence in india doctor, community & apex court.

The subject of "criminal negligence by doctors" is always a complex matter for medical fraternity and a great challenge before judiciary. In recent years, sudden spurt of cases of "negligence" (about 20000 a year as estimated by the IMA) and decision of two Judges Bench of SC in Dr. Suresh Gupta vs. Govt. of NCT of Delhi, on 4th August 2004, and another decision by three Judges Bench of Apex Court, exactly after one year i.e. on August 5, 2005 in an appeal filed by Dr. Jacob Mathew of CMC, Ludhiana, Punjab, raises a fresh debate and gives an opportunity to medical fraternity for introspection about implementation of medical ethics, update of knowledge and enhancement of skill, but not an immunity against filing of 'criminal negligence suits' against them. This paper deals with recent scenario of "Criminal Negligence" in India, its impact on medical fraternity, law-enforcing agencies and in large on community and applicability of SC's Guidelines of 2005 for registration of cases u/s 304-A IPC against doctors in case of death of patient during treatment.

Conversion to hijrah (EUNUCH) is it need based or a crime.

Young boys were allegedly kidnapped and kept under illegal custody for months together. After demoralization had set in due to prolonged confinement, surgery was done on their private parts and female hormones were given to the persons. The converted person were made to wear female garments and performed in groups as a female dancers and earned money while in captivity. After a few years the person approached the police that this heinous crime had been done against their will.

Medico-legal autopsy by panel of Doctors present scenario.

Medico-legal autopsy to ascertain the cause of death or other factors concerning death in unnatural or suspicious cases is in general conducted by one autopsy surgeon. But situations do arise when services of more than one doctor in the form of panel are taken for conducting autopsies. Except administrative orders for panel formation for autopsy in dowry related or custodial deaths, there are no clearly defined guidelines for constitution of the panel of autopsy surgeons in a large number of cases. Keeping in view the scientific, administrative, medical, legal and academic aspects of such autopsies, there is an urgent need to formulate certain guidelines for constituting such panels for disbursement of justice in a better way in public interest and to counter the probability of harassment and exploitation of the autopsy surgeons later on.