Munawwar Husain

Epidemiological Profile of Snake Bite at Tertiary Care Hospital, North India

This hospital based prospective study was conducted from September 2009 to September 2011.All the patients irrespective of age and sex, who reported with history of snake bite were included in the study. A total 169 snake bite patients, consisting of 116 (68.7%) male and 53 (31.3%) female [mean (SD) age 32±12 years] were admitted to the hospital during the study period, the ratio being 2.2:1. The majority of victims belonged to rural areas (67.5%) and most vulnerable occupation group was the people involved in agricultural activities (48.5%). The study population was predominately bitten outdoors (62.7%). Most of the time people could not identify the snake (52.1%) and among identified poisonous snakes Elapidae and Viperidae type were 15.4% and 13.0% respectively. The maximum cases of snakebite were recorded in the 3rd quarter of the year (67.4%) and peak incidence of snake bite was recorded in the time between 6:00 PM to 12:00 midnight (30.2%). In 69.2% of cases, the site of snake bite was lower limbs. The commonest manifestation was fright (85.2%) followed by pain at local site (57.9%). Majority of the victims were treated with ASV (81.1%) and most of them survived (92%).

Estimation of Stature by Factorizing Sternal Measurements On X-Ray Examination

The study was conducted to create general formula for stature estimation of adult male and female population respectively, upon measurements of length of sternum associated moieties, i.e. manubrium, mesosternum and xiphoid process alone or in combination using radiographic method. A number of 150 subjects were involved in this study. The subjects were males (100) and females (50) ranging from 18–70 years in age. The standing height of the subject was recorded before the sternum was scanned by a digital x-ray machine. The bone length was measured on the x-ray film of size 8x10 cm taken on console without magnification in centimeters (cm) and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19.0 for Windows. The results showed a significant relationship (p < 0.001) between stature and measurements of length of parameters of sternum. Simple Linear Regression Analysis was used to derive regression equation for sternum parameters alone or in combinations. Seven formulae for stature estimation of adult male and female population were derived respectively. This preliminary study concludes that the length of the sternum parameters alone or in combinations can be used as a tool for stature estimation in adult males and females.

In Defense of Defending Reduction in Age Bar of Adolescents in Case of Heinous Crimes-An Indian Perspective

Psychological human development generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (age of majority). Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical, psychological and emotional development1, 2, 3. The period of adolescents is most closely associated with the teenage years 4, 5 though its physical, psychological and cultural experiences may begin earlier and end later. For example, although puberty has been historically associated with the onset of adolescents’ development 6 it rather typically begins prior to teenage years and there has been a normative shift of it occurring in pre-adolescence, particularly in female (precocious puberty)7 physical growth, as distinct from puberty (particularly in males), and cognitive development generally seen in adolescence, can also extend into the early twenties. Thus chronological age provides only rough marker of adolescence and the authors can say that reason may be attributed to less parental control and heightened desire to experiment and explore the unknown. This paper dwells upon multiple factors that are contributory to crime.

Husain-Usmani Model for Grief Truncation Acronym “Seeding of Solace” (SOS): An Integrated Approach

There are various situations that require consolation for the bereaved. Each one of the situation demands special task to be effective. This study focuses exclusively on grief counselling of the bereaved restricted to the mortuary. It is the culmination of decades of cumulative experience of the authors in dealing with myriad complexities associated with autopsy, the thin line of balance required to be maintained with confidentiality and disclosure, and at the same time discharging the task of counselling in a highly charged atmosphere some time bordering rebellion. An attempt has been made to construct a model named “Husain-Usmani Model for Grief Truncation acronym ‘Seeding of Solace’ (SOS).

Crash helmet – the harbinger of death: a case report

In one of the rarest form of freak accident, a young woman surrendered to her death in a manner that belie the reality only to be played back in a slow motion sequence. History is replete of instances in which death struck individuals in otherwise innocent forms. In this case – elaborated below – a helmet tucked under the crook of an elbow became the undoing causing the woman to topple backward in a slow-motion, the head striking the hard surface of the road and precipitating her death later in a hospital.

In defense of defensive forensic medicine.

Defensive medicine comes into play when health professional conducts tests or procedures with a concern over liability, rather than its need. It’s highly emphasized by Dr Alan Woodward, Vice Chairman of committee on Professional liability of Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS). He further estimates that more than 80% of doctors across the country are engaged in defensive medicine 1 introducing “the fear factor in care cost”. 2 To be fair the defensive forensic medicine cannot be equated completely with the practice of defensive medicine in clinical setting. In the latter case the entire exercise of subjecting the patient to tests and procedures is only to protect the flanks of the doctor from perceived litigation and ill-conceived liability. The patient stands the least to gain from that maneuver. The authors contend that defensive forensic medicine may not be considered as regressive, costly and immoral. On the contrary it should be embraced as a progressive attempt to embody the defense of diagnosis reached by the autopsy surgeon or clinical forensic expert after rigorous application of mind, bodily material and convergence of lawful need. Some times additional measures to rule out “zebras”, i.e., unusual conditions unrelated to the problem at hand may be instated best illustrated by a case of battered to death of an eighty years old woman after robbery. The autopsy surgeon’s love of “defense” revealed that the woman was raped. Under normal circumstances, considering the advanced age of the woman and the crime scene offering all indications of violence and restraint of an elderly woman would be enough to wrap-up the case as that of robbery and ensuing violence. It is the exploratory virtue of defensive forensic medicine that rendered the revelation of additional information of sexual assault which would have otherwise gone unnoticed. The vaginal material established the identity of the suspect and led to the successful conviction of the accused. Defensive forensic medicine is anchored on the trinity of hope, suspicion and resistance – hope of the doctor to reach a final and viable diagnosis to stand in the court of law, suspicion of the prosecution, and resistance by the defense. Hence by practicing defensive forensic medicine it would be the endeavor to protect the autopsy surgeon’s/clinical forensic expert’s liability, to strengthen the deceased’s silent voice for justice, and may be of the suspect as well, and to raise the level of information provided to the court of law to form a reasonably consolidated corpus of opinion. Come to think of it the practitioners of forensic medicine are exposed to allegations, counter claims and litigations more than other practitioners of medicine simply because they form a broad interface with the law. No matter how well construct the good intentions may be the sunk-cost fallacy shadows their professional life throughout their career. Crusading defensive forensic medicine is like balancing the trilogical tryst with three destinies – that of the doctor, the deceased and the accused in the dock (the 3 Ds).

Laterality: Coffee vs Tea - Is it forensically relevant?

The question of laterality is discussed in this paper pertaining to use of the right or the left hand. Interestingly, some amazing cue is derived which though do not confirm to the projection, yet demonstrate conformity to deviant reasoning leading to promising forensic lead.