Rupture uterus: Carelessness or negligence.

Uterus is the most unique reproductive organ in humans. Rupture uterus is a hazardous complication of pregnancy and labour, and carries high risk both to the mother and the foetus. Uterine rupture during third trimester of pregnancy is a rare complication but if there is rupture and not suspect with in time may have fatal out come for the mother, foetus or both. In this modern medical era, prenatal check-up, advanced non invasive diagnostic facilities and subsequent treatment does not produce such life threatening complication. Rupture uterus cases are observed due to either carelessness of the patient or negligence of the doctor. Three cases of rupture uterus are discussed in this paper of full term pregnancy, had complete antenatal visits with all investigations including ultrasonography and attended the hospital well in time before death. Most cases of rupture uterus are preventable with good ante-natal and intra-partum care, and proper identification of high-risk cases.

Bride burning: a heinous crime.

“Dowry” is defined as meaning money, or other thing estimated in terms of money, demanded from the wife or her parents or her relatives by the husband or his parents or other relatives, where such a demand is not properly referable to any legally recognized claim and is relatable only to the wife’s having married into the husband’s family. Dowry death, a heinous crime is gradually engulfing and polluting the entire society. Newly married young women are the victims who adopted the way of suicide to end their lives by burning, hanging, poisoning or drowning. A 23 years old married female had died in her kitchen under suspicious circumstances within one year of her marriage life by burning with some inflammable material on dated 22/12/2009. The post-mortem examination revealed that death was due to asphyxia as a result of pressure over neck. 98% of dermo-epidermal burn present over body was post mortem in nature. Manner of death was homicidal. A medico legal aspect of the case is discussed in this article.

Forensic diagnosis of sudden death due to pyogenic meningitis.

Acute bacterial meningitis remains a major cause of mortality and long term neurological sequelae worldwide. Despite of availability of potent antibiotic the mortality rate due to acute bacterial meningitis remains significantly high in India and other developing countries. There is a need for periodic review of bacterial meningitis worldwide, since the pathogens responsible for infection vary with time, geography and patient‘s age. We are reporting a case of 40 years old married male who became unconscious suddenly with history of fever since last one day. There was no history of any major illness. He was died in hospital under suspicious condition within 12 hours of hospitalization. Forensic experts finally gave the opinion that the death was natural and it was due to pyogenic meningitis after considering autopsy findings, histo-pathological findings and microbiological and biochemistry reports. Klebsiella pneumoniae was responsible for acute pyogenic meningitis.

A study of homicidal deaths by mechanical injuries in Surat, Gujarat.

Violence has been always an integral part of the human civilization since its inception. Human beings have been progressively become expert in producing various type of weapons both for offensive and defensive purposes. This study was aimed to evaluate the mechanical injuries in homicidal cases of different motives and also to find out the most vulnerable portion of the body so as to minimize the loss of human life and common weapon used in such cases. The present study was carried out on 166 cases of homicidal deaths due to mechanical injuries during the year 2004 -05. Incidence of homicidal death due to mechanical injuries was averagely 83 cases per year. Mechanical injuries were quite common in homicidal deaths involving 130 males and 36 female victims. Majority of victims were in the age group of 21-40 years include 104 cases (62.65%). Stab injuries were commonly seen on the abdomen and chest due to sharp cutting weapons. Blunt force was the most commonly employed method in 80 cases (48.19%). Incidence of firearm was quite rare. Lungs were commonly involved internal organ. Male group was dominant over female group in defensive mechanism.

Victimology of homicide: A surat, (South Gujarat) based study.

Though “homicide” is simply defined as killing of one human being by another, various aspects like epidemiological and investigations in the Indian judicial system have large impact in terms of court trials. In any given case it involves fate of at least two families – “victim’s and accused’s”. In the present study comprising of 193 cases of homicide examined during the period of two years at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at New Civil Hospital and Government Medical College and Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research Surat, Gujarat, India. Various epidemiological and relevant medicolegal aspects deduced from the present study are highlighted in the present article.