Delinquency among street children in Karachi: the challenges to police and forensic medicine

Street Children are homeless, isolated and socially deprived children living in streets, parks or shrines. They are without adequate protection.1 These children, therefore, are at high risk because of their homelessness.2 The objective of this work was to analyse prevailing delinquency among street children [SC] in Karachi, and challenges posed by it to police and forensic medicine experts. It was a descriptive study. The study will be conducted on two hundred SC, at Sadder Town, Karachi. A pre-designed questionnaire will be used by the researcher in simple language. Interview will be conducted at Sadder Town, Karachi in the presence of a social worker from Azad Foundation who remains at Jahangir Park with the SC. Simple random sampling technique will be applied. Inclusion criteria will be SC aged between 12 - 17 years, who sleep in street at night. A minimum three years stay on street will be mandatory. Children who visit home or sleep at work place will be excluded. Interview with respondents who willingly offered to cooperate revealed that the delinquent behaviour among SC is on an increase. Calculated mean age was 14.76 +/- 1.47 years. There are 87% SC who are using a variety of substances while 42.2% prefers Glue Sniffing. It is very difficult to survive alone on street, so 88% SC lives in gangs. Among different gangs 82.8% of SC have physical conflicts with each other or with other gangs. The possession of place is the commonest reason in 41% SC for gang conflict. Street children keep some objects which can be used as weapon when needed. Sharp instruments, like blades are carried by 45% SC. Self - inflicted wounds present in 49.2% of cases while the reason for self - inflicted wound in 39% SC is to kill sweet memories

Spectrum of unnatural deaths in Hyderabad: an autopsy based study

To determine the spectrum of unnatural deaths, focusing on gender vulnerability, manners of death, inhabitant, weaponry and seasonal prevalence for criminal episodes. Prospective study. Medicolegal Section of Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad from January 2006 to December 2008. Six hundred and ninety seven cases of unnatural deaths referred by police for autopsy were included. Those who died in hospital due to natural causes or complications of surgery were excluded. The variables considered were gender, manners of death, weaponry, inhabitant and seasonal variations in criminal deaths. Findings were expressed in numbers and percentages. Out of total 697 medicolegal autopsies conducted males were [595] 85.4% and females [102] 14.6%. Accidental deaths [471] 67.58% outnumbered homicidal [219] 31.42% and suicidal [7] 01% manners of death. Weaponry for assault preferred was firearms followed by hard blunt weapons. Pen-urban inhabitant victims of unnatural deaths were [314] 45% followed by those belonging to rural areas [209] 30% and urban dwellers [174] 25%. Unnatural deaths occurred more in summer than in winter season. Majority of the victims of unnatural deaths were males dying due to accidental manner of deaths. Peri-urban victims out numbered the rural and urban dwellers. The fatalities were found in summer season more than in winter

Rectally administered misoprostol for the treatment Of Post-Partum Haemorrhage

To determine the effectiveness of rectally administered misoprostol for the treatment of post-partum haemorrhage [PPH] and assess its side effects.Therapeutic drug trial carried out from April 2003 to March 2004.Dept. of Gynaecology and Obstetrics [Unit I], Civil Hospital, Karachi.All patients presenting with post-partum haemorrhage.Women of any age or parity, who either delievered at Civil Hospital Karachi or were referred after delivery from elsewhere with primary post-partum haemorrhage were included in this study. Four tablets [800pg] of misoprostol were administered per rectally and the results watched for 30 minutes. The effectiveness of the drug was assessed by the time period taken for the control of the post-partum haemorrhage. The data of the patients was finally analyzed.Out of the 100 patients, 48 had good immediate control by using Misoprostol, while the remaining 52 patients needed further treatment.Rectal misoprostol was only effective in 48% cases qfpost-partum haemorrhage, though it has fewer side effects

role of radionuclide imaging and computerized axial tomography to reveal equivocal fractures in medicolegal practice

Four hundred sixty-six medicolegal cases were re-examined during the period of 3-years from 1998 to 2000 for correctness or otherwise of the challenged medicolegal certificates issued by the first examining medicolegal officer, and referred by the Health Authorities. Out of 466 cases, 190 [40.77%] cases were decided. 15 [7.89%] cases which were initially wrongly interpreted by the concerned medicolegal officer regarding the presence of nondisplaced fractures, were reviewed by the panel of experts, and keeping in view the persistent pain following trauma where the conservative radiograph failed to reveal fracture, specialized techniques in radiology i.e., Computerized Axial Tomography and Radionuclide Imaging, were utilized which showed 100% result by revealing fractures