Bath-related Deaths in Korea between 2008–2015

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic criteria for bathtub drownings are not standardized, and the risk factors associated with bath-related deaths are unclear. METHODS: We analyzed a Korean nationwide database of bath-related deaths that occurred between January 2008 and December 2015. Eighty-four cases were enrolled after reviewing 31,123 autopsy records. RESULTS: The subjects' ages ranged from 18 to 91 years, with a mean age ± standard deviation of 61.3 ± 16.0 years. Bath-related deaths in the winter were approximately 4.6-fold greater than those in the summer. Of the 84 subjects, the primary cause of death in 57 (67.9%) was drowning in the bath; 24 (28.6%) drowned of other causes such as natural diseases, and 3 (3.6%) died of acute alcohol intoxication. We analyzed water-inhalation signs to establish criteria for bathtub drowning diagnosis. There were significantly higher incidences of hyperinflated lungs, water in the sphenoid sinus and stomach/duodenal contents, and Paltauf's spots (subpleural hemorrhage) in bathtub-drowned subjects compared to non-drowned individuals (P < 0.01). Multiple signs of water inhalation were significantly associated with bathtub drowning (P < 0.01). The two leading contributory causes of bath-related death were cardiovascular diseases and alcohol intoxication (binge drinking before bathing). CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of bath-related deaths could present considerable medico-legal problems; therefore, a comprehensive autopsy with a thorough scene investigation can clarify the cause of death in these situations. Preventive strategies for reducing such deaths should target alcohol drinking before bathing and long soaking times in bathtubs, especially among elderly individuals with preexisting cardiovascular diseases.

Determining the Cause of Natural Death: A Case of Previously Unknown Sturge-Weber Syndrome / 대한법의학회지

In some cases, it is difficult to determine a single cause of death even after conducting full autopsy and additional tests. A 49-year-old man, reportedly having diabetes mellitus, was found unconscious by his mother and revealed to be dead. He had several contusions all over his body, including the right periocular area, but they did not appear fatal. A focal area of polymicrogyria and cortical dysplasia was found on the right preoccipital notch, accompanied with dystrophic calcification and leptomeningeal angiomatosis. These findings were considered indicative of Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare neurocutaneous disorder, of atypical type without facial lesions. Blood level of beta-hydroxybutyrate was 859 microg/mL, implying that he also had diabetic ketoacidosis. His ketoacidosis may not have been corrected appropriately because of status epilepticus in association with brain lesion, resulting in his death, but neither direct evidence nor statement was obtained. In cases with several apparent causes of death, the examiner's assumption should be based not on imagination but on evidence, and logic should not be overlooked. It is more helpful for the investigators or the bereaved to obtain more detailed information rather than come to a hasty conclusion.

Myocardial Contrast Defect Associated with Thrombotic Coronary Occlusion: Pre-Autopsy Diagnosis of a Cardiac Death with Post-Mortem CT Angiography

We report the case of a female who died of suspected acute myocardial infarction. Post-mortem CT angiography (PMCTA) was performed with intravascular contrast infusion before the standard autopsy, and it successfully demonstrated the complete thrombotic occlusion of a coronary artery and also a corresponding perfusion defect on myocardium. We herein describe the PMCTA findings of a cardiac death with special emphasis on the potential benefits of this novel CT technique in forensic practice.

Remarkable Postmortem CT Findings in Forensic Autopsy / 대한법의학회지

Despite being a very new field, forensic imaging is rapidly being used in forensic medical practices around the world. Computed tomography images are being produced and used for many reasons. Forensic imaging is being used for preliminary examination of serious findings before a routine autopsy, as it might help to give positive proof in some cases. Some major preliminary findings, such as brain hemorrhage, cardiac tamponade, or aortic dissection, can then be substantiated with the results of the physical autopsy. Forensic imaging techniques may also provide additive evidence about the cause of death such as pneumothorax, ileus, gas embolism, and aspiration that are difficult to detect with the traditional surgical autopsy techniques. Forensic imaging is also proving useful outside the autopsy room; forensic anthropologists and odontologists are using images to help them determine the age, sex, and even lifestyle of human specimens. Finally, forensic images have also begun to function as a form of record keeping in complex cases.

A Study of Impact on Head and Neck Using Human Volunteer Low-Speed Rear Impact Tests / 대한법의학회지

Whiplash injury in low-speed traffic accidents are not objectively verified by medical equipment, thereby creating scope for misuse, which has resulted in huge social losses worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of low-speed vehicular rear-impact collisions on middle-aged men, and to analyze the head and neck injury criteria for the symptomatic human volunteers. Data was examined from the results of 50 dynamic sled tests, originally performed by Hong et al. (2012). In the previous tests, 50 men aged 30~50 years were exposed to an impulse equivalent to a bumper-to-bumper rear collision under medical supervision, and no resulting whiplash injury was identified. In this study, for 6 subjects who experienced dull aches over their bodies, head injury criteria (HIC15) and neck injury criteria (N(km)) were calculated according to the accelerations, forces, and moments at the occipital condyle measured by motion capture system. Although there were no changes in magnetic resonance imaging findings in all subjects at the pre-/post-test orthopedic examination, 6 subjects revealed mild aches around the shoulder, back, or lumbar area, and their symptoms disappeared within 2 days. The head and neck injury criteria, HIC15 (3.086 +/- 2.942) and N(km) (0.077 +/- 0.064) were obtained, and the maximum HIC15 and N(km) were found to be significantly lower than the critical injury assessment reference values (HIC15: 700, N(km): 0.3). Moreover, even though 2 subjects were exposed to the same level of change of velocity (7.9 km/h), each N(km) was significantly different (0.179, 0.057). One can therefore conclude that N(km) can vary according to voluntary movements in the human subject.