Biomedical subjects

W Grellner

Publications and source records attributed to W Grellner.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Death caused by Perthes pressure congestion].

In this paper considerations from the view-point of forensic examiners are presented on various issues in fatal traumatic asphyxia such as reconstruction and frequently difficult evaluation of the survival time. The study includes several autopsy cases with diverse mechanisms of compression and graduated importance of asphyxia for death. The reconstruction of the diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia was possible in a case of exhumation after more than 5 months in the synopsis of necropsy and judicial inquiry. Very short survival periods of minutes and compression times of seconds are sufficient for the production of the typical external characteristics. Thoracic compression can cause death within minutes (limiting factor: resuscitation time of the brain). In addition to other well-known local and general vitality markers, clods or parts of plants in the hands of the decedents can point to vain attempts of self-escape and confirm the diagnosis of vitality.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[About suicide methods of physicians, medical personnel and related professions].

UNLABELLED: A collective of 131 suicides of physicians (n = 40), female and male nurses (n = 38), pharmacists/chemist/biologists (n = 17) and medical/chemical assistant personnel (n = 36) was evaluated with regard to the method of suicide. Preferred methods were ingestion of medicaments orally (29%) and by infusion/injection (18%), hanging (13%), cyanide poisoning (10%), jumping from great height (10%) and drowning (8%). The results were compared with a control group (n = 739: hanging 32%, oral ingestion of medicaments 16%, jumping from great height 13%, shooting 9%, drowning 8%, railway suicides 7%). Methods such as infusion/injection (anesthesiologists) and cyanide poisoning (chemists/chemical staff) being typical of occupation were over-represented within the first group, however, at the same time concentrated on specialized subgroups. Intoxications by infusion/injection and medicaments predominated even more clearly in physicians (58%) than in the total collective. CONCLUSION: The tendency to a method of suicide being typical of the profession rises among physicians and related occupations with the degree of specialization (increasing knowledge, easier access to appropriate drugs and methods). Medical/chemical education and occupation alone is not yet associated with such a predisposition.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Simulation of attempted homicide by dog bite in unconscious state].

It is reported on the unusual event of dog scavenging in an unconscious and intoxicated (alcohol) person. Due to the particular circumstances a case of attempted homicide was primarily suspected. Peculiarities of the case were a small dog (dachshund) as the responsible cause and the survival of the injured woman. Intensive and partly deep wounds due to scavenging were found on both shoulders/upper arms in nearly symmetrical order. Vomit from the dog could be assigned to the unconscious person by DNA typing. The typical morphological features of dog bites and injuries due to scavenging, respectively, and the possible motivation of the animal are discussed.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Possibilities for toxicologic evidence in adipocere formation and postmortem interval of several years].

It is reported on a 31-year-old man, whose dead body was found together with numerous packets of poisons and medicaments in a forest after a post-mortem period of nearly 3 years. Despite advanced skeletization and complete transformation of the still existing residual soft tissues to adipocere, highly toxic concentrations of two heavy metals (cadmium: 0.30 mg/kg; thallium: 0.91 mg/kg) and minor levels of three organic substances (phenobarbitone: 0.32 mg/kg; nordazepam: 0.14 mg/kg; salicylic acid: 0.04 mg/kg) were detected in adipoceratous samples. Even if it is not possible to derive similar blood levels from post-mortem values, the cause and manner of death (suicidal intoxication) could be clarified with the necessary degree of certainty. Few comparable literature reports either deal with exhumations or non-toxic concentrations of substances in morphologically better preserved adipoceratous bodies. Our case demonstrates that toxicological analyses may contribute to the clarification of the cause of death even if advanced adipocere formation with a longer post-mortem interval is present.

Adipose Tissue↗