Medicolegal aspects of maternal deaths of obstetrical origin

Understanding the extent of maternal deaths especially those due to medicolegal causes as homicide, suicide, accidents, illegal abortion and medical malpractice in women of childbearing age, may lead to improved identification of preventable problems that contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality. Maternal death due to unnatural [medicolegal] causes i.e. deaths due to violence, sudden and unexpected deaths, deaths due to medical malpractice and, in particular, those due to trauma- are increasing and forming the main causes of the maternal deaths. Maternal deaths due to natural causes i.e. direct or indirect obstetrical causes are decreasing nowadays, as a result of rapid progress in the methods of diagnosis and treatment of the various medical conditions affecting women during pregnancy, delivery and puerperium. Medical malpractice represented an important cause of the maternal deaths, especially with the development of the medical care standards. Because of this, if an accident happens the obstetrician more than any other doctor perhaps can find himself in the courts. To avoid this he has to know very well the causes of maternal mortality in order to avoid them as far as possible

Effect of lead toxicity on ultrastructure of bowman's capsule of adult rats

This study was designed to evaluate the lead induced toxic effects on the ultrastructure of adult rat Bowman's capsule, and comprised 18 rats. The animals were divided into two equal groups, [n=9]: control group given pure distilled water and study group given a 0.13% lead acetate solution in drinking water. After 8 weeks exposure, rats were sacrificed and their kidneys were removed and a small piece of renal cortex was fixed and sections were prepared for electron microscopic examination. The parietal cells of Bowman's capsule of the experimenatal group showed signs of damage to nucleus and organelles, with abundance of cytoplasmic vacuoles and phagolysosomes. We can conclude that exposure to lead can induce damage to the parietal cells of Bowman's capsule in rats

Toxic effects of subchronic exposure to malathion on liver and kidney: a possible preventive role of L-ascorbic acid and soyabean

The study comprised 150 male albino rats divided into 5 groups [n=30] according to diet regimen used: control group [normal diet], malathion group [1 mg malathion dissolved in 100ml of water was added to the diet], vitamin C group [L-ascorbic acid in a dose of 200mg/kg]. Soya group [Soya bean powder in a dose of 40 gm/kg], and combination group. Ten rats were sacrificed at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after the start of diet regimen. Blood samples were collected via cardiac puncture, then animals were sacrificed and liver and kidneys were removed for histopathologic examination. Blood samples were examined for serum levels of alanine aminotransferase [ALT], alkaline phosphatase [alk. Ph], g-glutamyl transferase [GGT], creatinine and lipid peroxides [LP]. There was a significant [P<0.05] increase of serum ALT, alk. Ph, and GGT in group II compared to the other groups, at 2, 4 and 6-wks, with a significant [P<0.05] increase at 4 and 6 weeks compared to levels detected at 2-wks. Group V showed the least affection of liver function tests despite being significantly [P<0.05] increased compared to control group. L-ascorbic acid and Soya bean separately, induced significant [P<0.05] decrease in enzyme levels compared to group II, but significantly [P<0.05] increased compared to group I. Serum creatinine showed a significant [P<0.05] increase in group II compared to the other groups. However, the addition of either or both L-ascorbic acid and Soya bean to malathion contaminated diet significantly [P<0.05] attenuated the deleterious effects of malathion on serum creatinine. There was significant [P<0.05] increase of serum LP in group II compared to the other groups at 2, 4 and 6 weeks, with a significant increase [P<0.05] of serum LP at 4- and 6-wks compared to levels detected at 2-wks. However, there was a non-significant difference between groups III-V, despite the significantly [P<0.05] increased levels in groups III and IV compared to the control levels. In liver specimens, increased lymphocytic infiltration and mild cellular vaculation were found in 4-wks specimens. In 6-wks specimens, there was abundant lymphocytic infiltration, and appearance of scattered masses of necrotic areas. Kidney specimens showed mild lymphocytic infiltration and hemorrhagic spots, and intense lymphocytic infiltration, intense hemorrhage and areas of necrosis in 4 and 6 weeks specimens, respectively. Changes were more evident in group II specimens, fiowever, group V rats showed least changes that appeared only in 6-wks specimens. We can conclude that the subchronic exposure to malathion induces toxic effects on liver and kidney via initiation and maintenance of lipid peroxidation, an event that can partly prevented by coadministration of ascorbic acid and Soya bean