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Biomedical subjects

D W Oxley

Publications and source records attributed to D W Oxley.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

The medical examiner in war.

Loss of human life is one of the tragic costs of war. While combat deaths are expected, non-combat deaths during a military operation often come as a surprise to military planners and the public. During operation Desert Storm, all United States deaths related to the Gulf War were classified according to circumstances as either hostile or non-hostile. We reviewed all deaths classified as non-hostile during Operation Desert Storm, from January 16, 1991 through April 17, 1991. These deaths were compared with the death recorded for all Armed Forces personnel during a recent year (fiscal year 1989) in which there was no hostile activity. The emphasis is on cause and manner of death. Representative cases are briefly discussed.

Accidents↗

Fatal pepper aspiration.

Eight patients (five previously undescribed) died due to aspiration of pepper. Seven deaths involved homicides, and one death was accidental in a child with documented pica. The pepper was administered by the mothers in three children and by a foster mother, the mother's boyfriend, an adult male friend, and the child's godfather in one case each. Homicidal pepper aspiration shares many of the features of more conventional child abuse: in each instance, the child was being punished, four of the seven assailants initially gave incorrect histories, and four children were chronically abused. The facts that each death occurred in a different state and that five of the seven homicides occurred within the two years preceding the preparation of this report suggest that this form of child abuse is not confined to any single part of the country and may be increasing in infrequency.

Asphyxia↗

An unusual tear-gas gun fatality.

A case of death involving a tear-gas pen gun, firing .45 ACP metallic ammunition, is presented, in which the recoil generated by the cartridge converted the weapon into a missile, penetrating the brain of the shooter. The injury potential to shooter and shooting victim is briefly discussed, and the added hazard to the shooter illustrated by this case is noted.

Adult↗