An evaluation of traumatic deaths associated with animal attacks: A 10-year autopsy study.

BACKGROUND: Just as throughout the world in general, deaths related to animal attacks continue to be a public health problem in Turkey. A decrease in areas of natural habitat because of human invasion, and the use of these areas for hunting, wood-cutting, recreational and sporting activities has increased the possibility of humans encountering wild animals. METHODS: A physical retrospective screening was made of the forensic records of a total of 8944 autopsy cases in the Forensic Medicine Institute of the Trabzon Group Directorate in the 10-year period between Januarry 2007 and December 2016. RESULTS: When the types of animals causing the traumatic death were examined, the most frequent was cattle in 15 cases followed by horses in 7 cases, bears in 4 cases, wolves in 2 cases, and wild boars in 2 cases. According to the autopsy results, the cause of death was most often intrathoracic bleeding and intrathoracic organ damage, the regions of the body injured were seen to be most often the chest and back, and the most common form of injury was blunt/crush trauma. CONCLUSION: From these records, cases were identified where the cause of death was traumatic animal attack, and examination was made of the sociodemographic characteristics, the type of animal that caused the injuries, information about the location of the incident, witness statements, information about the healthcare centre, findings of external examination and autopsy, and the cause.

Evaluation of the fire-related deaths: Autopsy study.

BACKGROUND: The fire is a public health problem that occurs because of various reasons, threatens the lives of organisms, and may cause economic losses. The forensic investigation and the crime (event) scene investigation and first medical examination to be performed for the persons in the fire scene might reveal important evidences. METHODS: The autopsy reports prepared in Trabzon Branch Office, The Ministry of Justice Council of Forensic Medicine, for the death cases found in fire scene between 2007 and 2016 were retrospectively examined. RESULTS: As a result of analyzing the 10-year archive data, it was determined that 100 (63.3%) of 158 cases, which have been found in the fire scene and undergone forensic autopsy, were male and 58 (36.7%) were female. By excluding the group of cases with undetected origin, it was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the homicide-caused deaths and the deaths with other causes (accident and suicide) in terms of the carboxyhemoglobin (HbCO) levels. By grouping the fire scene as outdoor and indoor areas, the comparison made between the HbCO levels of cases is presented in table. The difference between the two groups was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Starting from the crime scene investigation, a detailed radiological, toxicological, and pathological investigation must be performed for the persons taken out from the fire scenes. It was observed that the HbCO levels can be used in determining the space in which death occurred, the origin, and the comorbidities of the individual.