Alok Atreya

Clinico-epidemiological study of near-hanging cases – An investigation from Nepal

Hanging is one of the commonest methods of suicide. Epidemiological data of near-hanging patients from Nepal is limited. The present research from Nepal attempts to review the clinico-epidemiological profile of near-hanging patients. A retrospective review of case records was done for the near hanging patients admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital in Nepal, between August 2012 and August 2014. Details regarding socio-demographic profile, circumstances of hanging, clinical details, and outcome etc. were obtained and examined. During the study period, 10 near hanging patients were admitted to the hospital. The majority of the patients were below 30 years. Mean age of the study group was 28.8 years. The GCS on arrival ranged between 5/15 and 15/15 with the mean GCS being 9.5/15. Hypoxic encephalopathy and cerebral edema were the only noted complications. None of the patient had a cervical spinal injury. All the patients survived the near hanging episode. The mean ICU and hospital stay were 3.9 days and 6.2 days respectively. Prompt resuscitation, active interventions and intensive care support favors a good prognosis. Psychiatric evaluation and support to the patients and their relatives is the key to preventing such attempts in future.

Abdominal self-stabbing: A case report

While abdominal stabbings are frequently associated with homicides, abdominal self-stabbing is uncommon and poses a challenge for the investigators. In cases of sharp force trauma, the presence of hesitation cuts over the neck and extremities help to distinguish self-inflicted injuries from homicides. Hesitation cuts are not associated with self-inflicted sharp force injuries to the abdomen, and thus are of limited use in distinguishing suicidal from homicidal abdominal stab wounds. In this study, we present a case of self-inflicted abdominal stabbing along with a detailed review of literature to help elucidate such cases.

Fatal anaphylaxis from hymenoptera stings

Venomous insect stings are a cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The sting reactions are unpredictable and vary among individuals. A case of fatal insect sting in an elderly female is presented to discuss the associated challenges during necropsy.

Bear-inflicted injuries - a report from Nepal

Upper Mustang in the Northern Himalayan range of Nepal is the home of brown bears (Ursusarctos). Low-plant biomass as a result of scanty rainfall in Upper Mustang is a reason for habitat overlap of humans and wild animals. Humans who enter into the wild to collect firewood and graze cattle are liable to wild animal attacks. Such attacks, especially by brown bears, are readily identified by the type of injuries. These are more commonly confined to head and neck regions. Cutting, gnawing and tearing by sharp teeth and claws produces specific pattern of injuries, which are devastating but seldom fatal. This article reports a rare case of brown bear injury inflicted upon a man from the Upper Mustang region in Nepal.

Wischnewski spots in fatal burns.

The occurrence of Wischnewski spots in fatal hypothermia has been considered an important indicator of reduced core temperatures, its incidence varying between 40 and 100%. Though many human and animal studies have been conducted to study this phenomenon, the underlying mechanisms contributing to the formation of Wischnewski spots are still not clearly understood. They have been largely reported in human deaths occurring from exposure to freezing temperatures. This is the first reported case of Wischnewski spots observed in a case of fatal burns.

Cell phone explosion

Cell phone explosions and resultant burn injuries are rarely reported in the scientific literature. We report a case of cell phone explosion that occurred when a young male was listening to music while the mobile was plugged in for charging.

Patient autonomy and doctor’s concern – a case of intravenous drug abuser

Intravenous substance abuse is often associated with physical and psychological harm, and often requires urgent medical attention. We report a case of a young male who presented with life-threatening complications of intravenous drug abuse, but refused to give details or agree to the proposed treatment, raising concerns for the team of doctors. A compos mentis patient has a right to decide what should be done to his body. Medical management or surgical interventions cannot be initiated without the patient’s consent even if these are lifesaving procedures, or a procedure meant to benefit the patient. Medical practitioner can be liable for assault (criminal law), medical negligence (law of tort), damages (civil action) and even human rights issues may be raised if a patient’s autonomy is not respected.

Teenage Pregnancies in Nepal – The Problem Status and Socio-Legal Concerns

INTRODUCTION Teenage pregnancy is an issue that needs to be addressed for a better health of the women and the society. The present analysis is undertaken to find out the incidence of teenage mothers who have had hospital delivery and focuses upon the various reasons for teenage pregnancy with a brief discussion upon the associated medicolegal and social aspects. METHODS A cross sectional study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in western region of Nepal. The delivery case register were reviewed for teenage pregnancies and the relevant data was captured in a data sheet and analysed. RESULTS During the study period, a total of sixty-nine teenage pregnancies culminated into delivery/ childbirth. The mean age of teenage mother was 18.16±0.99 years. Majority of the teenage mothers had not completed their secondary education and were of low socioeconomic strata. Mode of delivery was caesarean section in thirty four cases, whereas vaginal delivery was conducted in thirty five cases. Live births accounted for 67 deliveries, a still birth case was of anencephalic foetus while the other one was a preterm which was spontaneously delivered at the 23rd weeks of gestation. CONCLUSIONS Education and awareness in the form of campaign, advertisements, road shows, television or radio programmes are suggested for a decline in the rate of teenage marriages and teenage pregnancies in Nepal in the days to come.

Duret haemorrhage: An unusual finding in compression of neck structures

Hanging is one of the most lethal methods of suicide, where survival is an obvious rarity. Those who survive the initial act of hanging mostly suffer from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and show some form of neurological damage. Intracranial haemorrhages are rarely associated with hanging. We report the first case of Duret haemorrhages in a 58 years old victim who survived for 8 days after the attempted hanging. Duret haemorrhage is mostly associated with fatal outcome. It is thus implied that cerebral edema should be brought under control at the earliest to prevent transtentorial herniation and subsequent Duret haemorrhages.

Euthanasia: Global Scenario and Its Status in India

The legal and moral validity of euthanasia has been questioned in different situations. In India, the status of euthanasia is no different. It was the Aruna Ramachandra Shanbaug case that got significant public attention and led the Supreme Court of India to initiate detailed deliberations on the long ignored issue of euthanasia. Realising the importance of this issue and considering the ongoing and pending litigation before the different courts in this regard, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India issued a public notice on May 2016 that invited opinions from the citizens and the concerned stakeholders on the proposed draft bill entitled The Medical Treatment of Terminally Ill Patients (Protection of Patients and Medical Practitioners) Bill. Globally, only a few countries have legislation with discreet and unambiguous guidelines on euthanasia. The ongoing developments have raised a hope of India getting a discreet law on euthanasia in the future.