ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The ADVANCED QUALITY One Step Multi-Drug Screen test is a new urine on-site immunoassay test that is designed to detect multiple drugs of abuse in one time (barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methamphetamine, and opiates group). Thus, the present research was done to evaluate the diagnostic performance of this test. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Urine samples obtained from corpses subjected to medicolegal autopsy at the forensic unit in Ramathibodi Hospital between October 2007 and March 2009 were used for the present study. The diagnostic performance of this immunoassay test was determined by using the results of the rapid emergency drug identification high sensitivity (REMEDi HS) system as the gold standard. RESULTS: Two hundred forty six urine samples were used in the present study. The sensitivity with their 95% confidence interval of cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepines assay was 100% (100-100%) each. The specificity with their 95% confidence interval of these was 100% (100-100%), 98% (96.75-99.94%), 95% (91.70-97.38%), and 93% (89.89-96.24%), respectively. The MDMA and barbiturates were not evaluated because there was no true positive result. CONCLUSION: The ADVANCED QUALITY One Step Multi-Drug Screen test is reliable for drugs of abuse screening in postmortem urine.
Subject(s)
Forensic Medicine , Illicit Drugs/urine , Immunoassay/methods , Substance Abuse Detection/methods , Substance-Related Disorders/urine , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Autopsy , Cadaver , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Young AdultABSTRACT
This report documents a rare case of carbon dioxide intoxication in a young healthy male. The deceased hid in a small plastic container, size 1.5 x 1 x 1 m, and within 5 min he was located suffering convulsions and was reported as dead within minutes. Scene investigation revealed dry ice in the container. Autopsy findings were unremarkable. The probable cause of the convulsions was carbon dioxide intoxication due to both the dry ice sublimation and the small confined space in which he was hiding. This report emphasizes the significance of scene investigation in establishing the cause of the death.
Subject(s)
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning/etiology , Confined Spaces , Dry Ice/adverse effects , Brain/pathology , Carbon Monoxide Poisoning/diagnosis , Forensic Pathology , Humans , Lung/pathology , Male , Young AdultABSTRACT
A 27-year-old male with a clinical history of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome committed suicide by cutting and stabbing himself in his bedroom. During the scene investigation, the knife was recovered below his body and the room was not ransacked The external examination revealed one deep incised wound with one superficial incised wound over the anterior aspect of the neck, three horizontal stab wounds with five superficial small incised wounds over the chest and two superficial incised wounds over the ventral aspect of the left wrist. They showed multiple hesitation wounds. Subsequent autopsy showed a cut wound of the thyroid cartilage penetrating trachea and a penetrating wound of the left lower lung with 500 ml fresh blood hemothorax. All findings lead to suspicion of suicide by multiple sharp forces.
Subject(s)
Autopsy , Self-Injurious Behavior/pathology , Suicide , Wounds, Stab/pathology , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/psychology , Adult , Cause of Death , Humans , Male , Neck Injuries/pathology , Thoracic Injuries/pathologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively review forensic autopsy cases of a Thai population to show the relationship between the normal internal organ weight and body weight and body length. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The present study included 561 autopsies from Ramathibodi Hospital from August 2003 to June 2007. The subjects were from sudden unnatural death following criteria. The weighed organs included brain, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. RESULTS: The ages ranged from 15 to 89 years and there were 461 males and 100 females. The Mean were represented by males and females; 1330/1208, 302/259, 831/659, 1390/1211, 96/81, and 252/222 in brain, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys respectively CONCLUSION: Relationship was found between internal organs weight and body weight and body length of males whereas, in females the weight of internal organs except the kidneys was not related to body length.
Subject(s)
Body Height , Body Weight , Organ Size , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Autopsy , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reference Values , Thailand , Young AdultABSTRACT
The case of a 30 year-old Thai female found dead on the floor at the base of a small monument on Rajadumnern Road, Bangkok, Thailand with blood stains around the body and a naked bottom. The scene investigation and autopsy findings suggested a sexual assault and multiple sharp force injuries. The approach to the postmortem examination using different laboratory tests is reviewed. The specificity and sensitivity of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in specimens from rape victims is better than acid phosphatase test. The ELISA test for PSA was tested to confirm the PSA test kit. The present report suggests the PSA test kit in addition to conventional sperm smear and acid phosphatase test for sexual assault investigation in Thailand.
Subject(s)
Autopsy , Forensic Pathology/instrumentation , Homicide , Prostate-Specific Antigen/analysis , Rape/diagnosis , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic , Acid Phosphatase , Adult , Crime , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Humans , Male , Spermatozoa , ThailandABSTRACT
A case of sudden unexpected natural death in a young adult male from the north-eastern part of Thailand with clinical non Lai-Tai disease, but pathologic feature of mitral valve prolapse is discussed. The approach to the postmortem examination of the mitral valve is reviewed. Because of the sudden nature of this death, this entity is more commonly seen in Medico-legal Medicine populations than in hospital autopsies.
