S.K. Verma

Suicide Notes: Psychological and Clinical Profile

Objective: Suicide is one of the leading causes of mortality in developing as well as developed countries. Psychological autopsy is supplementary to medical autopsy in finding out the correct cause of death. Suicide notes form an important component of psychological autopsy. Method: In the present study, psychosocial and clinical profile of 40 suicide note writers is present. The contents of suicide notes were also analysed. Results: A majority of suicide note writers were to 21 to 30 years of age (55%) and were males (65%). Home was the most common place for committing suicide (80%) and hanging was the most common method. All suicide notes were handwritten and a last wish was mentioned in 30%. Suicide note was most commonly addressed to a sibling (20%). Disturbed love affair and financial problems were the common reasons mentioned in suicide notes. Hopelessness and depression was the most common diagnosis in 52.5% cases. Conclusion: More studies are warranted to detect and analyze the suicide notes so that they not only help in confirming cause of death as suicide but also help in suicide prevention programs.

Accidental Ligature Strangulation Deaths in East Delhi (India)

Ligature strangulations are usually homicidal. Accidental cases are quite uncommon, especially among adults. A retrospective ten-year study conducted in East Delhi revealed that in a total of 98 cases of death due to strangulation, five cases (∼5%) among all medico-legal deaths were of fatal ligature strangulation, involving adults who were neither intoxicated nor indulging in paraphiliac activity. The causative agent in three cases was a cycle rickshaw, in one case it was a rotatory part of a machine, and the fifth case occurred due to entanglement while tying up a cow. The cases and their autopsy findings have been described in this paper, together with the review and preventive aspects of such cases.

Argemone mexicana poisoning: autopsy findings of two cases

Epidemic dropsy, a disease due to Argemone mexicana poisoning, is characterized by pathological accumulation of diluted lymph in body tissues and cavities. Recently, the largest epidemic of the disease in India affected Delhi and its neighboring states during the months of August-September 1998. Over 3000 persons fell ill, and more than 65 died in the state of Delhi alone. Two cases belonging to the same family died, out of the large number of cases admitted in this tertiary care teaching hospital situated in eastern part of Delhi. Autopsy findings of these two cases are presented and discussed here along with the review of toxicity due to this poisoning.

Estimation of time since death from electrolyte, glucose and calcium analysis of postmortem vitreous humour in semi-arid climate

Estimating time since death (TSD) with fair accuracy from postmortem changes still remains an important but difficult task to be performed by every autopsy surgeon in medicolegal scenario. The aim of the present study was to estimate TSD from electrolyte analysis of postmortem vitreous humour collected from samples under semi-arid climate. Vitreous humour was collected from 210 dead bodies brought to University College of Medical Sciences and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi, during the period of November 2010 to April 2012. The vitreous samples were analysed for sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and glucose. The results showed a significant positive relationship between TSD and potassium (r = 0.841, p = 0.000) and a weak negative relationship between TSD and sodium (r = −0.137, p = 0.048) and glucose (r = −0.241, p = 0.000), whereas no significant relationship could be established between TSD and calcium (r = 0.055, p = 0.429) and chloride (r = 0.075, p = 0.11).

Role of Dentists in Dental Age Assessment: Legal Provisions in India & Limitations

Article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “that everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before law”. Therefore, every citizen of a member State of the United Nations has a right to possess his personal identity. Age is one of the key parameters to establish identity of an individual. For age estimation, among the various parameters, dental examination also provides useful information. Hence, dental age assessment (DAA) is an important task for all dentists to perform and more so after the recent amendments in the provisions related to age assessment under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act (JJA) in this country (India). However, like other parameters, DAA has its limitations. This issue has been examined in light of the various court judgments on of this aspect of practice of forensic dentistry after reviewing majority of the methods used for DAA available in the literature and recommendations have been made for appropriate methods that can be used in different age groups and scenario.

Fatal cardiac tamponade by Bodkin.

Cardiac tamponade is life-threatening, slow or rapid compression of the heart due to the pericardial accumulation of fluid, pus, blood, clots or gas, as a result of effusion, trauma or rupture of the heart. Penetrating injuries of the chest are most commonly the result of stab wounds and are often associated with a range of potentially life-threatening injuries. It must be treated by pericardial drainage as soon as possible. Sometimes the injury resulting in life-threatening conditions may be so small that it could be missed in the first instance. We present a case report in which the deceased was stabbed by Bodkin at road side. As the wound was so minute, it was not appreciated and time was lost in getting treatment, resulting in loss of a precious life.