Death caused by anaphylactic shock: a forensic pathological analysis of 142 cases / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the forensic pathological features of death caused by anaphylactic shock.@*METHODS@#One hundred and forty-two death cases of anaphylactic shock were retrospectively analyzed. The IgE level in the serum of anaphylactic shock cases were statistically compared with that of 62 non-anaphylactic shock cases.@*RESULTS@#Most cases (77.46%) of anaphylactic shock death occurred in the medical institutes, with intravenous drug administration accounting for 53.53% of anaphylactic shock death. β-Lactam antibiotics, glucocorticoid and herbal medications were responsible for a significant proportion of such cases. Although characteristic histopathological changes were absent in vast majority of these anaphylactic shock cases, the differences of IgE levels in the serum between anaphylactic shock group and non-anaphylactic shock group were statistically significant (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Combined information including clinical data, autopsy results, IgE level, and other specific test results should be evaluated together in the forensic pathological diagnosis of anaphylactic shock.

Sudden death caused by aortic dissection: 63 cases of forensic pathological analysis / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the cause of death, clinical manifestations and forensic pathological features of death cases caused by aortic dissection.@*METHODS@#Sixty-three cases of aortic dissection were selected from forensic medical center, Sun Yat-sen University from 2001 to 2011 and retrospectively analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The patients were mostly young and middle-aged male, aged from 30 to 49 years old. The DeBakey type II was the most common pathological type and the main cause of death was pericardial tamponade. The most common symptom was abdominal pain. However, the location of aorta dissection did not always correlate with the location of pain. Some cases showed no obvious clinical symptoms. The rupture was usually located in ascending aorta with atherosclerosis and pathological changes of hypertension.@*CONCLUSION@#It is significant for diagnosis and evaluation the cause of death of aortic dissection by knowing the clinical symptoms and forensic pathological features.