PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Costantinides

Publications and source records attributed to F Costantinides.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Aorto-oesophageal fistula and intestinal infarction secondary to volvulus following ingestion of foreign bodies in a schizophrenic patient.

We present a case of death caused by voluntary ingestion of non-organic foreign bodies observed at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Trieste. The victim was a young schizophrenic patient whose death, at first giving rise to suspicions of murder by another psychiatric patient, was found to be caused by an uncommon chronic permanence of foreign bodies at different locations of the digestive tract which suddenly evolved into a series of simultaneous lethal complications as yet never described. The case also raised the issue of possible responsibilities of the subject's healthcare providers.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Suicide using a hand grenade.

The authors describe an unusual case of suicide that required particular attention to establish whether the victim was murdered, was preparing a terrorist attack or had committed suicide. Examination of the corpse and the crime scene, as well as testimonies, led the authors to determine the real cause of death, namely, an unusual method of suicide.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Diatom test with Soluene-350 to diagnose drowning in sea water.

The authors tested the Soluene-350 method to detect diatoms in three cases of sea water drowning. The negative results obtained in all three cases prompted us to re-test the method on samples of fresh water and sea water microalgae. The experiment showed that the siliceous frustule of sea water diatoms is solubilized by Soluene-350 while that of fresh water diatoms is resistant to the treatment. The method, which is effective in cases of drowning in fresh water, should therefore be used with caution in sea water drowning.

Diatoms↗
PubMed1999

Determination of the time of death in a homicide-suicide case using flow cytometry.

The study of the biologic processes involved in determining the postmortem interval also can be useful for determining the time of death. In this instance, we investigated the time of death in a case of homicide-suicide using circumstantial findings and thanatochronological and flow cytometric data. The flow cytometric data confirmed the time of death as calculated from the police investigations. This method has proven more reliable than thanatochronological techniques and can be used to supplement these observations. This case indicates that the use of flow cytometry "on the spot" is useful and reliable; however, more evidence is needed to support this new, although to date very sound, method of investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Radiographic magnification in the diagnosis of traumatic lesions of the hyoid-larynx complex.

This paper proposes the use of radiographic magnification to detect the effects of neck traumas. This technique, both fast and economical, has proved to be particularly useful in all those cases where post mortem examinations failed to detect valid evidence of lesions of the hyoid-larynx complex. This is the case with corpses in an advanced stage of putrefaction where death occurred as a result of pressure or when a soft object is placed between the victim's neck and the assailant's hands. The radiological study was performed "on site" on four cases of medicolegal interest and its potential was confirmed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Is flow cytometric evaluation of DNA degradation a reliable method to investigate the early postmortem period?

The time of death can be established by determining the length of the postmortem interval. Many methods have been proposed to achieve this goal. Flow cytometric evaluation of DNA degradation seems to be reliable for the first 72 hours after death. Our study evaluated the correspondence of the corruption process between in vitro and corpse tissues. We chose spleen tissue to perform our investigation because it is rich in nucleated cells. Results showed a precise correspondence between the two kinds of samples in the time period between 24 and 36 hours. The period from 36 to 72 hours is characterized by a much looser correspondence than that found in the first period. After the first 72 hours, DNA denaturation is massive and does not allow useful cytofluorimetric readings. The spleen does not seem to be the most suitable organ for this type of investigation because it tends to colliquate very rapidly. We therefore are evaluating other organs to identify a more suitable tissue source for the investigation of longer postmortem period using flow cytometry.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Traffic-related injuries in children at Trieste, 1984-1986].

Traffic-related injuries to children are poorly known in our country, in spite of their role in mortality and morbidity. Being that they are rather different from those reported in the adults, their study is useful in identifying risks and elaborating prevention strategies. This paper reports epidemiologic and clinical data on 1050 children under 16, referred to our hospital because of road traffic accidents. The study has been prospectively carried out during 1984-86; injuries severity was assessed according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale. Incidence rates resulted to increase with the age, highest values being observed for 15 year old children, due to motorcycle use. Patterns and severity of the injuries were significantly different according to the age and the group of injured subjects. Younger children as pedestrians and 14-15 y.o. motorcyclists resulted to be more involved than car passengers and bicyclists. At a telephone inquiry after 6-12 months sequelae resulted in 20-40% out of 482 children, according to different AIS Score.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1982

A fatal case of accidental cerebral injury due to power drill.

An unusual fatal case of an accidental craniocerebral penetrating wound due to a power drill is described. A 25-year-old man fell from a stepladder while perforating a ceiling with a drill to arrange the lights for New Year's Day. During the fall the drill penetrated the right upper jaw, passed through the orbit, the ethmoid and the sphenoid bones, tearing the left internal carotid artery, the left cavernal sinus, and the left base nuclei. Death was due to inhalation of blood and atelectasis. The skin wound was an atypical puncture wound similar to bullet entrance wound.

Accidents↗