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Biomedical subjects

J I Coe

Publications and source records attributed to J I Coe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Public relations for the Medical Examiner's Office. Speech delivered September 27, 1994, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, on receiving the Helpern Laureate Award.

Use of the suggestions outlined in these brief remarks are meant to enhance the quality of your service to the community. This is the primary reason for their implementation. However, they also enhance the perception of your office by the people of the community who interact with you. This can frequently provide a base of support when trouble arises. And many, if not most of you, have experienced or will experience unfavorable media coverage sometime during your professional career. How you will fare in such a situation will depend not only on the validity of the criticism directed against you but on the perception of the public, as influenced by the news media. It is at this unexpected and critical time that your past public relations' efforts will bear fruit.

Awards and Prizes↗
PubMed1993

Postmortem chemistry update. Emphasis on forensic application.

This article reviews the postmortem chemistry of body fluids. The articles reviewed have been written in English during the last 15 years and the subjects discussed include carbohydrates, nitrogenous compounds, electrolytes, trace elements, lipids, proteins, bile pigments, enzymes, hormones, blood gases, pH, biochemical markers, metabolic disorders, SIDS, time of death, and the physical characteristics of serum.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The effects of various intermediate targets on dispersion of shotgun patterns.

Intermediate targets cause dispersion of a shot pattern by a ricochet effect. Thus, the intermediate target must have sufficient thickness or tensile strength to slow down the initial group of shot striking the target. Aluminum and steel screen, ordinary window glass, thin cardboard and thin cowhide did not manifest these qualities under the conditions of these experiments.

Firearms↗
PubMed1989

Vitreous potassium as a measure of the postmortem interval: an historical review and critical evaluation.

This is an historical review of the articles published in English on the use of vitreous potassium to determine the PMI. External factors which influence the validity of the test are sampling techniques, analytical instrumentation and environmental temperature during the PMI. Internal factors that are recognized at the present time which influence vitreous potassium are the age of the individual, the duration of the terminal episode and the presence or absence of nitrogen retention.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Ectopic origin of a coronary artery from the aorta. Sudden death in 3 of 23 patients.

Ectopic origin of a coronary artery from the aorta is uncommon. In the last decade, its importance as a possible cause of sudden death has been documented. Initially, only the left coronary artery was implicated. Lately, the ectopically arising right coronary artery has also been shown to be involved in cases of sudden death. We reviewed the pathologic anatomy in 23 cases of ectopic origin of a coronary artery from the aorta. In three of these cases, death could be attributed to ectopic origin of a coronary artery. In one case the left coronary artery arose from the right aortic sinus, and in two cases the right coronary artery arose from the left aortic sinus. In one of these, a scar of healed myocardial infarction was present in the inferior wall of the left ventricle. The possible mechanism for sudden death in these cases is reviewed and emphasis placed on the theory that the acute angle at which the ectopic artery leaves the aorta results in a flap-like mechanism at the arterial ostium. Ostial stenosis by the flap could be a significant factor in causing myocardial ischemia in some patients and also in sudden death.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Variations in vitreous humor chemical values as a result of instrumentation.

Urea nitrogen, glucose, sodium, potassium, and chloride were measured in common vitreous humor samples using a variety of instruments. There was found to be variation in values obtained by the different procedures for each of these constituents. The variation in electrolyte values between the different procedures can pose real problems in attempting to determine the presence of an antemortem dehydration or low salt condition. Possible reasons for these variations are discussed, and the normal range of values of both sodium and chloride for the different instrumentalities is provided. However, variations in values for both urea nitrogen and glucose would not pose any problems of interpretation for forensic science evaluations.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1984

Hypothermia: autopsy findings and vitreous glucose.

Anatomic lesions associated with hypothermia are variable and nonspecific. Only a few gross lesions and no microscopic pathology were noted in the acute deaths of this series. An interesting anatomic observation was the low weight of the lungs in 45% of the hypothermic deaths. Hypothermia is recognized as frequently producing hyperglycemia and 80% of a group of such patients clinically treated at the Hennepin County Medical Center had elevated blood sugar values. This correlates with an average vitreous glucose of 82.6 mg/dL in the hypothermic deaths. By contrast, the average vitreous glucose value found in each of two separate control groups was 37 mg/dL. Establishing hypothermia as the cause of death requires a proper history of exposure and the absence of any other clear-cut lethal factor. Certain biochemical tests may provide supporting evidence. Among these is an elevated vitreous glucose in a nondiabetic individual.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

External beveling of entrance wounds by handguns.

External beveling of entrance wounds may be seen either when a bullet strikes the skull tangentially, producing overlapping entrance and exit wounds (keyhole defect) or, more commonly, in entrance wounds when the bullet strikes the skull perpendicularly to the surface of the bone. In the latter cases such external beveling may be partially or completely circumferential. The mechanism of producing beveling of an entrance wound when a bullet strikes the skull perpendicularly to the surface is not completely understood. Several proposed mechanisms are briefly discussed. The possible misinterpretation of an entrance wound as an exit wound is stressed. Such a misinterpretation should never occur when a complete autopsy is performed.

Forensic Medicine↗
PubMed1981

Homicide by exploder ammunition.

A wound caused by an exploder bullet should be suspected in the presence of a primer anvil, percussion cap, or multiple lead fragments from a low-velocity bullet not striking bone. The autopsy may reveal a larger area of tissue destruction at the site of the bullet exploding than would be expected from simple passage of an intact projectile.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Postmortem wound dehiscence: a medicolegal masquerade.

Postmortem artifactual changes associated with decomposition have been well reported throughout the forensic literature. The recognition and correct interpretation of these artifactual changes are of paramount importance in determining if injuries were sustained before or after death. Presented is a case of surgical wound dehiscence associated with bloating in the postmortem decomposition state. Previously undescribed in the current forensic science literature, this entity can present difficulties in interpretation. The artifact is described and the methods used in its identification are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Correlation of antemortem and postmortem digoxin levels.

Postmortem serum digoxin levels from any source routinely exceed antemortem values. Variation resulting from site of sampling gave a mean postmortem to antemortem ratio of 1.96 for heart, 1.63 for subclavian vein, and 1.42 for femoral vein samples. No correlation could be made between the postmortem interval and the increase in post-mortem serum values, irrespective of the site of sampling. A combination of femoral venous serum and vitreous humor values gave the best information for determining possible antemortem digoxin toxicity.

Digoxin↗
PubMed1977

Sudden and unexpected deaths after the acute onset of diabetes mellitus.

Four cases of sudden and unexpected death caused by the acute onset of diabetes mellitus are reported. Three are examples of acute juvenile diabetes while the fourth demonstrated the aketotic form of diabetic coma. Such instances can present a diagnostic problem to the forensic pathologist. The usefulness of vitreous humor glucose analysis to diagnose such a condition is stressed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Comparative postmortem chemistries of vitreous humor before and after embalming.

Examination for common biochemical substances in the vitreous humor of embalmed bodies indicates that individuals with significant nitrogen retention or diabetics with marked elevation in vitreous glucose will be recognized by standard laboratory procedures on postembalming specimens. The work of Scott et al [3] on vitreous alcohol in the embalmed body has been substantiated with good general agreement found between specimens obtained before and after the embalming process.

Embalming↗
PubMed1975

True and false left ventricular aneurysms. Propensity for the altter to rupture.

Two cases are described of sudden death resulting from rupture of small chronic false aneurysm of the left ventricle with secondary hemopericardium. The cases support the point that rupture of chronic false left ventricular aneurysm tends to occur. This appears to be contrary to the potential for chronic true aneurysms of the left ventricle which tend not to rupture. Rupture of true left ventriuclar aneurysm in its deveoping stahe may, however, occur.

Aged↗