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Biomedical subjects

E Koops

Publications and source records attributed to E Koops.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

[Suicidal strangulation by ligature (author's transl)].

Out of sample of about 15,000 medico-legal autopsies seven cases of suicidal strangulation by ligature were selected. Suicidal strangulation has a frequency of about 0.1% among all suicides and a frequency of about 5% in all fatalities due to strangulation by ligature. In two cases strangulation was achieved by auxiliary mechanisms other than by the own hands. In four other cases the tool was wound around the neck many times with or without a final knot in the frontal position. In another case there was only a single surrounding of rope around the neck with a single knot. The hands of the corpses were rarely found firmly attached to the ends of the tools (two cases), an observation, which does not necessarily indicate the involvement of an additional person. All cases showed extensive congestion of the head and the neck above the level of strangulation with multiple petechial hemorrhages, swelling of the soft tissues, and hemorrhagic infarction of the tongue and the bottom of the mouth. Histologically, these lesions exhibited expressed vital reactions with leukocytosis and incipient emigration of inflammatory cells. These reactions were obviously due to prolonged agony. It is tentatively concluded that suicidal strangulation usually shows a pattern of findings that allows the differentiation of homicide.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Acute death from scalding: vital reactions (author's transl)].

After a boiler explosion on a ship 12 men with cutaneous scalding of 90-100% of body surface were found dead. 15 other fatalities occured after different intervals. This investigation deals with the histomorphologic changes in those 12 cases of instantaneous death. The most important findings consisted of: 1. Thermal injuries of the skin with multiple subcutaneous and corial bubbles, intravascular heat coagulation, and edema in the transitional zone to the undamaged submucosa. 2. Coagulation necrosis of the tracheal and bronchial wall extending to alveolar ducts in central parts of the lung. Marked congestion and edema in the deeper layers of the mucosa. Hemorrhagic alveolar and interstitial edema of the lung. Striking congestion of the pleura parietalis saving up the recessus diaphragmaticus. 3. Acute nephron-nephrosis and periglomerular microangiopathy. Interstitial edema of the myocardium, degeneration of myofibrils. Acute vacuolar degeneration and swelling of hepatocytes. Phagocytosis of detritus by the RHS. 4. Swelling of endothelium and edema of the vascular walls. Intravascular fragments of erythrocytes, platelet aggregation and fibrin thrombi. The fatal cours in these cases is considered to be due to a fulminant shock syndrome.

Blast Injuries↗
PubMed1979

Thrombembolic malfunction of a Björk-Shiley aortic valve prosthesis.

The case history and pathomorphological findings of a very rare fatal complication following prosthetic heart valve replacement are described: A 51-year-old woman died of acute malfunction of her Björk-Shiley aortic valve prosthesis caused by a large embolus deriving from the left atrium. After triple valve replacement 30 months earlier she seemed to be in good health. She had been subject to absolute arrhythmia for many years, and anticoagulation treatment had been felt to be sufficient.

Aortic Valve↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Postmortem dog bites after sexually motivated homicide with multiple stab wounds--differential diagnostic aspects].

The body of a 20-year-old woman that had undergone significant putrefaction was found lying on the bed of her apartment in a supine position. The legs were straddled and apart from a T-shirt, she was naked. The inner side of the right thigh showed a circumscribed 20 cm x 40 cm defect exposing the underlying muscles. The wound margin was ragged and superficial scratch-type abrasions were found in the vicinity of the injury margin. The investigating police officers classified the injuries to be caused postmortem by a crossbreed dog that was inside the apartment. No other signs of external force were found on the body at the death scene and due to the previous history of the deceased, a drug death was assumed. Autopsy revealed 13 vital stab wounds in the neck and aspiration of blood in the lungs as well as signs of manual strangulation. The observed coincidence of injuries due to postmortem animal depredation and stab wounds, although in different localization, can be regarded as a rare entity in the light of the literature. The morphological appearance of traumatic injuries due to other causes can be modified by the simultaneous presence of postmortem injuries caused by animals and difficulties can arise concerning the differential diagnosis especially under poor conditions (e.g. advanced putrefaction) at the death scene.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Once again: risk of injury caused by blank pistols].

The nature and extent of the use of blank pistols in Hamburg (according to the Hamburg crime statistics about 300 to 400 such cases per year; 34 cases involving head and neck wounds from 1989 to 1999 were investigated at our institute; among these 8 suicides, no homicide) as well as patterns of injuries caused by close distance blank pistol shots were analysed. 7 of these cases are described in detail. The results of our studies corroborate the warning statements made by many criminological and medico-legal experts regarding the danger inherent in these allegedly harmless weapons. Blank cartridge pistols can, when shot from a close distance, cause most severe injuries involving penetration into body cavities and bodily organs (especially in the head and neck), and even perforation of the skull. Therefore, we call for a much stricter control of weapons of this kind.

Adolescent↗