Reliability in distinguishing murder from accidental event with current forensic criteria in traumatic head injury.

Discovering a body displaying signs of multiple head trauma requires a thorough examination by the forensic pathologist, and a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. However, determining the manner of death is not always possible. We present a case in which the body of a 60-year-old man was discovered lying face down on the floor of his apartment, partially unclothed, surrounded by blood and vomit, and presenting numerous head injuries. The autopsy concluded that the cause of death was a result of post-traumatic brain injury. Nevertheless, applying current criteria made it challenging to ascertain whether the trauma stemmed from an accidental event or an assault.

Trauma severity predictors / Preditores de gravidade no trauma

This review aimed to determine which are the indexes for early detection and evaluation of clinical and physiological deterioration of traumatized patients. A Scoping Review according to the methods proposed by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) was performed from February 2018 to December 2018 on LILACS (Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde), National Library of Medicine (PubMed), and SCOPUS databases. Sixty-two studies were included, of which 43 evaluated patients with general trauma. A variety of physiological variables, such as Glasgow Coma Score, Glucose, Days in the Intensive Care Unit, Lactate, and predictor indexes - Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS), Revisited Trauma Score (RTS), and APACHE II were identified. The values observed in the studies among patients were compared to the ones determined by the basic literature, being called Critical Values (CV). The group of gravity indexes, besides clinical and regulatory protocols, found in this review are the solidification of the healthcare process involving the traumatized patient's responses to the actions of the healthcare team. The analysis of these indexes must be emphasized to determine, with greater reliability, the prognosis of the patient. With these data, it may be possible to effectively predict mortality rates (AU).

O objetivo desta revisão é determinar os índices para detecção precoce e avaliação clínica e fisiológica para deterioração de pacientes do trauma. Conduziu-se uma revisão de escopo de acordo com os métodos propostos pelo Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) entre fevereiro de 2018 a dezembro de 2018 nas bases de dados LILACS (Literatura Latina-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde), National Library of Medicine (PubMed) e SCOPUS. Foram incluídos 62 estudos, dos quais 43 sobre trauma geral. Encontrou-se grande diversidade de variáveis fisiológicas, como Escala de Coma de Glasgow, Glicose, dias em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva, lactato e índices preditores­Injury Severity Score (ISS), Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS), Reviseted Trauma Score (RTS) e APACHE II. Os valores observados nos pacientes dos estudos encontrados foram comparados com os da literatura básica, sendo denominados Valores Críticos (CV). O grupo de índices de gravidade encontrados neste estudo, além de protocolos reguladores e clínicos, são a solidificação do processo de cuidado envolvendo a resposta das ações da equipe em saúde ao paciente de trauma. A análise desses índices deve ser enfatizada para determinar com maior confiabilidade o prognóstico do paciente. Com esses dados, pode ser possível predizer a taxa de mortalidade com maior acurácia (AU).

Evaluation of the sequential organ failure assessment score and newly introduced criteria - Traumasis - in traffic collision patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and the newly introduced criteria, traumasis, defined as a SOFA score 2 or more among trauma patients. METHODS: Consecutive adult traffic collision patients who were admitted to the study hospital emergency department (ED) from January 2017 to December 2018 were enrolled retrospectively in the study. The primary outcome was in-hospital death. The SOFA score was calculated using relevant initial ED data. Traditional risk scores for trauma patients, such as the injury severity score (ISS), the revised trauma score (RTS), and the trauma injury severity score (TRISS), were also calculated. RESULTS: A total of 927 patients were available for analysis, of whom 46 died (5.0%). The median SOFA score was 1.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.0-3.0). A total of 417 patients (45.0%) were identified as having traumasis (SOFA score ≥ 2), of whom 44 died (10.6%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of the SOFA score (0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-0.95) was comparable with that of the TRISS (0.88; 95% CI, 0.84-0.93) and better than that of the ISS(0.81; 95% CI 0.75-0.86) and the RTS (0.82; 95% CI 0.75-0.90). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the traumasis criteria for the primary outcome were 95.7%, 63.0%, 11.9%, and 99.6%, respectively. The net reclassification improvement for the comparison between the traumasis criteria and major trauma criteria (ISS ≥ 15) was 0.69 (95% CI, 0.55-0.82; p < 0.001). The multivariate Cox regression model showed that the SOFA score (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.52; 95% CI 1.37-1.67) and traumasis (aHR 11.40; 95% CI 2.70-48.13), respectively, was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: The SOFA score can be used as a reliable tool for predicting in-hospital death among traffic collision patients. The newly introduced criteria, traumasis, may be used as a risk-stratification and quality-control criteria among patients with trauma, similar to the sepsis criteria among patients with infectious disease.

Injury crashes and the relationship with disease causing excessive daytime sleepiness.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between some of the most common diseases that are known to contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and traffic injury crashes. Specific focus was on the relationship between disease and crash type (single-vehicle or multiple-vehicle crash) and between disease and injury severity. METHODS: This registry-based study considered all passenger car drivers involved in a crash in Sweden between 2011 and 2016 who were 40 years or older at the time of the crash (n = 54,090). For each crash-involved driver, selected medical diagnoses registered from 1997 until the day before the crash were extracted from the National Patient Register. The drivers were assigned to 1 of 4 groups, depending on prior diseases: sleep apnea (SA; group 1, n = 2,165), sleep disorders (group 2, n = 724), Parkinson's or epilepsy (group 3, n = 645) and a reference group (group 4, n = 50,556). Logistic regression analysis compared single-vehicle crashes with multiple-vehicle crashes and moderately/severely injured drivers with slightly/uninjured drivers. RESULTS: Drivers with EDS-related diseases (groups 1-3) had higher probability of a single-vehicle crash than a multiple-vehicle crash compared to the reference group. The most sizeable effect was found for Parkinson's/epilepsy with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.5 (confidence interval [CI], 2.1-3.0). For multiple-vehicle crashes, the probability of a moderate/severe injury was higher for drivers with other sleep disorders (OR = 1.5; CI, 1.0-2.2) and Parkinson's/epilepsy (OR = 1.6; CI, 1.1-2.3) compared to the reference group. CONCLUSIONS: This study has made first steps toward understanding the relationship between some of the most common diseases that are known to contribute to EDS and crashes. Having Parkinson's/epilepsy, in particular, elevated the probability of a single-vehicle crash compared to a multiple-vehicle crash. A single-vehicle crash was seen as indicative of causing a crash; thus, having Parkinson's/epilepsy could be interpreted as a risk factor for crash involvement. Having Parkinson's/epilepsy, as well as other sleep disorders, was also related to more severe outcomes in multiple-vehicle crashes, given that a crash occurred. This was not identified in single-vehicle crashes.

Unexpected death of an infant suffocated in the course of breastfeeding when the mother fell asleep.

Death following accidental suffocation due to overlaying is often overlooked, and still attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). We report a case of sudden infant death following accidental suffocation due to breast overlaying during breastfeeding. We report the death of a two-month-old male baby, without medical history, who was found lifeless wedged under his mother's breast. The mother subsequently admitted that she had fallen asleep while breastfeeding and awoke a few minutes later to find him wedged under her breast and not breathing. External examination of the infant's body revealed right frontal congestion with reddish-purple colour of the right frontal skin corresponding to where the mother's breast had overlaid his face with bilateral conjunctival petechiae with no signs of external injury. Internal examination revealed congestion with petechiae marks of the internal side of the right frontal scalp, with moderate congestion and few petechiae marks at the level of the lungs. The histopathological examination showed non-specific passive congestion, with no abnormalities. The cause of death was attributed to accidental suffocation following obstruction of external airways by the mother's breast during breastfeeding. Accidental asphyxia cases require extensive investigation of the circumstances surrounding death, reconstruction of events, and careful documentation of the findings observed at autopsy with full histological examination which may become relevant in a specific case in later stages of the investigation.

Accidental trauma of infancy: emergency department evaluation and management.

The common mechanisms and injury patterns of accidental trauma in infants differ from those of older children and adults, with falls representing the most common etiology. While the evaluation of traumatic injury in infants should follow an algorithm similar to that used for adults, the unique pediatric physiologic response to trauma must be taken into consideration. In addition, the utility of certain imaging studies in these patients is highly case specific, particularly with minor head injuries. This supplement reviews the evaluation and management of infants with accidental traumatic injury, including the most common circumstances and pathophysiology of injury, the differential diagnosis of the infant trauma victim, and the workup and management of accidental injuries in this patient population.

Magnet Injuries in Children: An Analysis of the National Poison Data System from 2008 to 2019.

OBJECTIVE: To examine, using the National Poison Data System (the data warehouse for poison control centers in the US), magnet foreign body injuries in pediatric patients. We sought to report demographic data, outcome data, and case trends between 2008 and 2019. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the National Poison Data System for patients younger than 19 years of age with a magnet "exposure," which poison centers define as an ingestion, inhalation, injection, or dermal exposure to a poison. RESULTS: A total of 5738 magnet exposures were identified. Most were male (3169; 55%), <6 years old (3572; 62%), with an unintentional injury (4828; 84%). There were 222 patients (3.9%) with a confirmed medical "effect," defined as signs, symptoms, and clinical findings not including therapeutic interventions (eg, endoscopy). There was a 33% decrease in cases from 418 (2008-2011) to 281 per year (2012-2017) after high-powered magnet sets were removed from the market. Calls subsequently increased 444% to 1249 per year (2018-2019) after high-powered magnet sets re-entered the market. Cases from 2018 and 2019 increased across all age groups and account for 39% of magnet cases since 2008. CONCLUSIONS: Significant increases in magnet injuries correspond to time periods in which high-powered magnet sets were sold, including a 444% increase since 2018. These results reflect the increased need for preventative or legislative efforts.

Dual spinal cord injury: a case of acute traumatic T9 AIS A spinal cord injury complicated by transverse myelitis.

INTRODUCTION: While the general principles of treatment of TM are agreed upon, the rarity of the disease has made determining its clinical course and etiology quite difficult. This report aims to inform these debates by demonstrating the susceptibility of at least one individual to transverse myelitis following an acute SCI. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report follows the clinical course of a 17 year old. Caucasian female that contracted transverse myelitis (TM) following an acute traumatic spinal cord injury. This patient originally presented as a T9 AIS A traumatic SCI, and was then re-graded as C6 AIS A SCI following diagnosis of TM. She was later seen in clinic for 6-month follow-up and displayed post-trauma baseline scores for both strength and sensation, indicating nearly complete recovery. DISCUSSION: In addition, this report demonstrates the importance of adequate clinical management of TM in practical terms of patient performance on clinical exams. This report also adds to the existing body of evidence suggesting early intervention is associated with better functional outcomes.

Seizures, accidental injuries at work, and reasons for resignation in people with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined seizures, accidental injuries at work, and reasons for resignation in people with epilepsy (PWE). We performed a questionnaire survey of PWE to identify the risk of injury at work, its relationship to different seizure characteristics, and reasons for resignation. METHODS: We distributed a questionnaire survey in the outpatient clinic of a single epilepsy center. Medical information was obtained retrospectively from medical records. RESULTS: Of 200 patients who received the questionnaire, 172 responded. Two-fifths of PWE had experienced seizures at work, but the risk of accidental injuries due to epileptic seizures was only 0.01 person/year (1.0%) and 0.018 injuries/year, whereas the risk of accidental injuries not related to seizures was 0.039 person/year (3.9%) and 0.083 injuries/year. All accidental injuries due to seizures at work were caused by seizures characterized by a fall and inappropriate behavior with impaired awareness. Most accidental injuries due to seizures at work were caused by seizures that occurred at least once a year. The types of injuries reported were bruising, abrasion, laceration, fracture, burn, and submersion injuries. A quarter of PWE had left previous jobs because of epilepsy, of these, about four-fifths reported that seizures at the workplace had interfered with their own or others' tasks. SIGNIFICANCE: The risk of seizure-related injury is not high compared to the risk of injury not related to seizures, and most injuries due to seizures are not severe. The features of seizures with a fall, impaired awareness, and inappropriate behavior, as well as seizure frequency, should be considered when evaluating the risks associated with seizures in the workplace. Most PWE who had left their previous job because of epilepsy had experienced seizures at the workplace interfering with their own or others' tasks.

Disseminated pneumocephalus secondary to air compressor injury.

We report an unusual case of a young male patient who presented with severe pain and swelling of his left eyelid following an air compressor tip accident. He suffered extensive facial edema accompanied by deep tissue emphysema and an elevated intraocular pressure. On noncontrast CT scan, air was detected in the intraconal and extraconal orbital compartments, and intracranially within the subarachnoid spaces as well as in the suprasellar and perimesencephalic cisterns. There were no detectable fractures. We presume that by perforating the orbital septum, Tenon's capsule, and the optic nerve sheath, air had managed to penetrate the cranium through the optic nerve subarachnoid space and into the intracranial subarachnoid space.

Inflicted versus unintentional injury: towards improved detection and surveillance of supervisory neglect.

BACKGROUND: Many children evaluated for child abuse have non-inflicted injuries due to supervisory neglect. Despite its prevalence, supervisory neglect has received minimal attention. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients maintained in a hospital forensic registry. Text analytics software was used to classify types of supervisory neglect from reported mechanism of injury (MOI). Logistic regression was used to assess risks associated with supervisory neglect. RESULTS: For 1185 eligible patients, 553 were classified as having unintentional injuries. Text analysis identified four types of supervisory neglect for falls (N = 376): interrupted supervision (53.4%); failure to adapt the home (26.7%); safety equipment non-compliance (12.8%); inadequate substitute care (7.0%); a fifth category was identified for non-falls (N = 54): rough handling (32.0%). Supervisory neglect was associated with MOI consistent with the injury (AOR = 15.5[p < 0.001]), no loss of consciousness (AOR = 6.8(p < 0.001]), no bruising away from the injury site (AOR = 3.7[p < 0.001]), and direct hospital presentation (AOR = 1.8[p < 0.05]). Of the 553 with unintentional injury, 62% had isolated head injuries; 20%, however, had evidence of prior head trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Interrupted supervision was the most common form of supervisory neglect. Twenty percent of forensics patients with head injury found to have non-inflicted injuries had evidence of prior head injury. Supervisory neglect suggests a high-risk population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, Prognosis.

Geographic gender differences in traumatic unintentional injury hospitalization and youth drinking.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have used both spatial and non-spatial techniques to the study of alcohol outcomes. The objectives of this study were to identify clusters of traumatic unintentional injury hospitalizations by gender and blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and to determine trends and correlates by BAC levels. METHODS: State Trauma Registry data capturing unintentional injuries for those aged 10 to 24 hospitalized with negative and positive BAC levels (n = 6233) were analyzed from 2006 to 2015 for all Chicago block groups. Spatial clustering techniques were applied to detect spatial clusters and Generalized Estimating Equations to determine correlates and trends while controlling for correlation within block groups. RESULTS: Regardless of BAC level, hospitalization rates decreased for all age groups between 2006 to 2010 and 2011 to 2015 from 94.41 to 67.69 per 100,000 population. The decline for males hospitalized with positive BAC was 1.4 times greater than the decline for their female counterparts. Risk factors included being male, black or of a minority race, having no private insurance and living in a disadvantaged neighborhood. Male hospitalization rates clustered among 33 census block groups located in three Chicago Community Areas. No clustering was detected for female patients. Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalizations are decreasing in Chicago, yet the risk is concentrated, with greater decreasing rates among males than females. Spatial approaches can be valuable tools in analyzing substance abuse outcomes, to identify high-risk areas and shifts in risk within a large geographic area.

Understanding pathways to social inequalities in childhood unintentional injuries: findings from the UK millennium cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Childhood unintentional injuries (UI) are common but continue to happen more often to children living in less advantaged socioeconomic circumstances (SEC). Our aim was to explore how early life factors mediate the association between SEC and UIs, using the UK Millennium Cohort Study. METHODS: We calculated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for parental report of UI occurring between age 3 and 5 years, using Poisson regression according to family income as a measure of SEC. We explored potentially mediating pathways by controlling associations between SEC and UI for groups of early life risks in three domains: factors that may influence environmental safety, supervision and the MCS child's abilities and behaviours. RESULTS: Twenty eight percent of children had a UI from 3 to 5 years old. Children from the lowest income quintile were more likely to be injured compared to those from the highest (RR 1.20 95%CI 1.05, 1.37). Sequentially controlling for early life factors that may influence environmental safety (RR 1.19 95%CI 1.02, 1.38), then supervision (RR 1.18, 95%CI 1.02, 1.36), and finally adding child's behaviour and abilities (RR 1.15, 95%CI 1.00, 1.34) into the model reduced the RR by 5, 10 and 25% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Addressing factors that may influence environmental safety and supervision, and the child's abilities and behaviours only partly explains the increased UI risk between the highest and lowest income quintiles. Further research is required to explore factors mediating associations between SEC and specific mechanisms and types of injuries.

Age-related mortality in abusive head trauma.

BACKGROUND: Abusive head trauma (AHT) peaks during early infancy and decreases in toddler years. Infants and toddlers experience different injuries, possibly impacting the risk of mortality. We aimed to evaluate the association of age with mortality. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of AHT hospitalizations in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2012 from the Kid's Inpatient Claims Database. An accidental head trauma cohort was included to hypothesize that the association between age and mortality is unique to abuse. A nested multivariable logistic regression was used to perform the analysis. RESULTS: Children aged 2 years to 4 years experienced higher mortality than those younger than 2 years (22% vs. 10%, p < 0.0001; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.2). The presence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9), cerebral edema (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 2.9-5.4), and retinal hemorrhage (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.5-2.5) were associated with an increase risk in mortality. Children younger than 2 years experienced more fractures and hemorrhage (subdural, subarachnoid, retinal) while children aged 2 years to 4 years encountered more internal injuries and cerebral edema.In children with accidental head trauma, those aged 2 years to 4 years have a lower mortality compared with those younger than 2 years (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.3-0.6). Among children younger than 2 years, AHT and accidental trauma had comparable risk of mortality (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.6-1.3). However, among those aged 22 years to 4 years, AHT had a higher risk of mortality than accidental trauma (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.1-5.1). CONCLUSION: There is a considerable risk of mortality associated with age at diagnosis in children with AHT.Children younger than 2 years and those aged 2 years to 4 years present with different types of injuries. The high risk of mortality in the children aged 2 years to 4 years is unique to AHT. Efforts should be made to increase awareness about the risk of mortality and identify factors that can aide in a timely accurate diagnosis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic and epidemiological study, level III.

Histological ageing of fractures in infants: a practical algorithm for assessing infants suspected of accidental or non-accidental injury.

AIMS: This study is the first to systematically document histological features of fractures of known age in infants (≦12 months). It has been used to develop a tabulated database specifically to guide histopathologists to age fractures in children considered to have suffered accidental or non-accidental injury (NAI). Currently in the United Kingdom there are insufficient pathologists with experience in histological ageing of fractures to meet the medicolegal need for this examination. This study provides a practical tool that will allow those skilled paediatric and forensic pathologists currently involved in assessing infants for evidence of accidental or non-accidental injury a basis for extending their assessment into this area of unmet need. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-nine fractures of known age at death were obtained from 52 anonymised infants over a period of 32 years (1985-2016 inclusive). Sections stained using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Martius scarlet blue (MSB) were used to identify specific histological features and to relate them to fracture age. In 1999 the data were entered into a tabulated database for fractures accumulated between from 1985 to 1998 inclusive. Thereafter cases were added, and at 2-yearly intervals the accumulated data were audited against the previous database and adjustments made. CONCLUSIONS: This paper describes the final data set from the 2017 audit. The study was terminated at the end of 2016, as there had been no material changes in the data set for three consecutive audits.