Deaths associated with electric shock injuries in children and adults: A 10-year retrospective examination in Sanliurfa, Southeast Turkey (2012-2022).

Electric shock injuries (EIs) have high rates of morbidity and mortality in both children and adults. The aim of this study was to examine autopsy cases resulting from EIs and to compare pediatric and adult groups with respect to sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, location of the incident, electricity entry-exit wound characteristics, current direction, pathological effects of the electric shocks on the body, and cause of death. A total of 8075 autopsies conducted between 2012 and 2022 were retrospectively examined. Sanliurfa is a city in the southeast of Turkey with the highest birth rate in the country. Of 123 cases of death resulting from EIs in Sanliurfa, 58 (47.2%) were children (age < 18 years). In the majority of children (81%), a low-voltage injury resulted from a domestic appliance while the children were playing at home in a rural area. In the vast majority of adults, a high-voltage injury (HVI) resulted from a workplace accident due to working with HVI materials in an area outside the home. The manner of death was accidental in all the electric shock injuries. The electricity entry and exit wounds formed as a result of EIs had similar characteristics in both children and adults, with no significant difference identified. In the province of Sanliurfa, Turkey, which borders Syria and where the main occupation is agricultural activities, there is a need to increase electrical safety precautions within the home, educate parents, and increase electrical safety conditions and worker education in the workplace.

Cut throat injuries and honor killings: review of 15 cases in eastern Turkey.

Throat cuts could be of homicidal, suicidal or accidental origin. In the cases of death from cut throat, suicide can be distinguished from homicide based on the type and location of the wound and crime scene investigation. The purpose of the current study is to attract attention to the instructive findings for origin determination in deaths by cut throat according to the number and characteristics of the wounds and crime scene investigation. We have reviewed the files of autopsies performed between the years of 2000 and 2010, and compared with previously published case reports; all results were summarized in the current study. The results showed that 60% of cases were male, 40% were female, with 27.9 years of average age. The mean number of wounds was calculated to be 34.3 per case for honor homicides, 7.4 per case for other homicides, and 2.0 per case for suicides. Numbers of wounds were approximately 5 times higher in the honor homicides compared to other homicides. If the number of wounds were excessive, possibility of honor killings should be taken into account. When the killer was a parent not in psychosis, hesitation cuts were detected. Additional lesions were present in 46.7% of the cases, and they were assessed as homicide. Presence of vertebral notch and spinal cord cuts, which require a substantial amount of force and pressure via sharp tools, indicates homicide.

Investigation of lead mobilization from the buckshot residues to the critical organs.

Lead exposure causes neurotoxicity, reproductive system dysfunction, renal failure, and blood and endocrine system disorders in human and experimental animals. In this study, we investigated lead mobilization from gunshot fragments to the critical organs (brain, heart, liver, and kidney) and its interaction with essential trace elements on experimental rat model. Thirty-five rats were randomly divided in five groups. The first group was a control and the others were subjected to buckshot implantation in their skeletal muscles (second and third groups) and abdomen (fourth and fifth groups). The control group and the second and fourth groups were sacrificed 1 month after the onset of experiment while the third and fifth groups were followed after 2 months. Blood lead levels were significantly elevated in both 2 month-followed groups and 1 month-followed intraabdominal group. There were significant increases in brain lead levels of both 2 month-followed groups. For the 1 month-followed groups, kidney lead levels were also significantly higher than those of controls. Results show that lead mobilizes from the buckshot residues in distance tissues to the critical organs and interacts with iron, copper, and zinc even though blood lead level sometimes remains unchanged. Our findings are crucial in revealing lead accumulation in critical organs of subjects carrying any gunshot fragments. These subjects and physicians should be in alert for emergence of lead-induced manifestations.

The informed consent status for surgery patients in eastern Turkey: a cross-sectional study.

This study assesses the quality of the informed consent process and satisfaction with the informed consent process, for surgery patients in Turkey. Four hundred and eighty three patients were interviewed after their surgeries. More than half of the patients were satisfied with the information on eight issues that pertained to the informed consent process. A majority of patients (91 per cent) were satisfied with the information regarding why an operation necessary. However, only 205 of 483 patients(42 per cent) indicated that they had received sufficient information on the potential side effects and complications of surgery. Patients' educational level and the type of surgery--urgent or elective--were associated with the satisfaction status.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia cases in forensic autopsies.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia or cardiomyopathy (ARVD or ARVC) is an increasingly recognized entity with clinical and forensic implications. This is the first series documenting ARVD in 5 separate cases in forensic autopsies from Turkey declared as natural sudden cardiac death following complete autopsy and toxicologic analysis. There was a male preponderance (M/F=4), with a mean age of 50.

Paternal and sibling incest: a case report.

A case is reported of a female victim of paternal incest, who had also been raped repeatedly by her elder brother for two years. A survey of the literature showed no other report of such a case from Turkey. This does not necessarily mean that the incidence of paternal and sibling incest does not happen, but may indicate that incestuous abuse is not reported or handled without making it known to legal authorities. The victim was first raped by her 16 year-old brother when she was 9 years old. He raped her repeatedly over a period of two years, until he left home. Her father began raping the victim when she was 13 year-old, leaving her pregnant at age 15. He took her to a doctor for a termination of pregnancy. The father continued abuse after the termination. The victim left home to marry a man. The father filed a lawsuit against the man for taking the victim away from home. More openness and awareness of incest in Turkey may encourage the victims to seek help from medical and legal authorities.