[The forensic medical aspects of the problem of victimization of the elderly persons as exemplified by a case of suicide of an oncological patient]. / Sudebno-meditsinskie aspekty problemy viktimnosti lits preklonnogo vozrasta (na primere samoubiistva onkologicheskogo bol'nogo).

The frequency of suicides is an indirect indicator of the social welfare without distinction as to the social and political system. This problem is of special importance as regards the well-being of elderly people whose numbers grow steadily all over the world. The extending life expectancy at older ages in the combination with the resulting demographic disproportions have widespread repercussions on the older generation because they are associated with the increase of the negative social trends as exemplified by a case of suicide of the 89 year-old man A who had for a long time suffered from an oncological disease and was entirely dependent upon the assistance from other people. The authors emphasize that the most important factors responsible for the currently enhanced frequency of suicidal attempts among the elderly persons include the life below the poverty line, permanent stress, poor housing conditions, family conflicts, the ever increasing prevalence of somato-neurological and psychic pathologies, etc. The comprehensive forensic medical and socio-hygienic analysis of all cases of suicide and numerous relevant risk factors may be instrumental in the systematization of the statistical information on the nosological forms of specific pathologies, and the development of the adequate measures for the prevention of the deviant behaviour among the old-age subjects at the regional level. Such analysis may contribute to the reduction of the mortality among the populations of the advanced age especially in the high-risk groups including the elderly people.

[The morphological diagnostics of the toxic effects of the smoking blends in the cases of fatal intoxication with pyrrolidinovalerophenone]. / Morfologicheskaia diagnostika toksicheskogo vozdeistviia kuritel'nykh smesei v sluchaiakh smertel'nykh otravlenii pirrolidinvalerofenonom.

The objective of the present study was the development of the morphological criteria for the diagnostics of fatal intoxication with the herbal smoking blends (spices) using the samples of the biological materials obtained from the victims of pyrrolidinovalerophenone poisoning. The samples were taken from 13 autopsied cadavers of 11 men and 2 women at the age from 26 to 39 years based at the Astrakhan Regional Bureau of Forensic Medical Expertise during the period from 21011 to 2015. The diagnosis of pyrrolidinvalerpphenon poisoning was verified to the letter. The materials obtained during the standard autopsy procedure were used for the forensic genetic studies in the combination with the mandatory routine forensic chemical investigations with the application of the gas chromatographic techniques. Polymorphism of the morphological picture was attributable to the differences in the chemical composition of the poisons and the combination of narcotic and alcoholic intoxication. The signs of chronic intoxication manifested themselves in the form of mixed gliosis and various lesions of brain neurons. The variety of clinical symptoms and the morphological picture of pyrrolidinovalerophenone poisoning are responsible for different forms of tanatogenesis which suggests the necessity of further research on the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of herbal smoking blends.