Saurabh Chattopadhyay

A profile of fatal snake bite cases in the Bankura district of West Bengal

Deaths due to snake envenomation are considered as a public health problem in rural India. The scenario is no different in Bankura district of West Bengal. 86 cases of deaths due to snake bites were recorded during a three year period from January 2006 to December 2008. Nearly 60% of the victims were in the age group of 21-40 years and males comprised 60.47% of the cases. Majority of the incidences occurred during the monsoons and during day time. The present study also highlights the sociological impact and suggests certain preventive measures to reduce snake bite mortality.

Human fatalities from wild elephant attacks - A study of fourteen cases

Human-wild elephant conflicts are frequently reported from various parts of the country. Encroaching of animal habitat by human civilization is a primary reason for this. The present study comprises of fourteen autopsy cases conducted at the department of Forensic Medicine, B.S Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, India over a period of three years. The study attempts to find out the nature of injuries caused by wild elephant attack and the common factors contributing to human-wild elephant conflict so that vulnerable population can be cautioned to avoid conflicts. A distinct seasonal as well as diurnal variation of attack incidences was noted. Attacks were sudden and unprovoked. Killer elephants were wild tuskers in all the cases. Victims were from the low socioeconomic group and the cause of death was due to trampling on the vital organs like chest and head.

Skull fracture and haemorrhage pattern among fatal and nonfatal head injury assault victims – a critical analysis

Abstract: Background: The global incidence of fatal head injuries as the result of assault is greater than the number of non-fatal cases. The important factors that determine the outcome in terms of survival of such head injury cases include the type of weapon used, type and site of skull fracture, intra cranial haemorrhage and the brain injury. The present study aims to highlight the role of skull fractures as an indirect indicator of force of impact and the intra cranial haemorrhage by a comparative study of assault victims with fatal and nonfatal head injuries. Methods: 91 head injury cases resulting from assault were studied in the Department of Forensic Medicine, IMS, BHU Varanasi over a period of 2 years from which 18 patients survived and 73 cases had a lethal outcome. Details of the fatal cases were obtained from the police inquest and an autopsy while examination of the surviving patients was done after obtaining an informed consent. The data so obtained were analyzed and presented in the study. Results: Assault with firearms often led to fatality whereas with assault involving blunt weapons the survival rate was higher. Multiple cranial bones were involved in 69.3% cases while comminuted fracture of the skull was common among the fatal cases. Fracture of the base of the skull was noted only in the fatal cases and a combination of subdural and subarachnoid haemorrhage was found in the majority of the fatal cases. Conclusions: The present study shows skull fractures to be an important indicator of severity of trauma in attacks to the head. Multiple bone fracture, comminuted fracture and base fractures may be considered as high risk factors in attempted homicide cases.

Fatal transorbital head injury by bicycle brake handle.

Accidental transorbital head injuries are quite rare. Penetrating head injuries by blunt objects are possible when the site of penetration is through the orbit or the thin temporal bone. The present case is a rare case of transorbital penetrating head injury by a blunt object - bicycle brake handle. Minor external wounds may be misleading and fatal consequences may ensue if cerebral damage is missed on diagnosis. Proper antibiotic coverage to prevent meningitis and neurosurgical intervention can reduce mortality in such cases.

Identification from dorsal finger pattern: a new approach.

The dorsal aspect of the hand has been little studied for the purpose of identification and hence the present study was undertaken to explore the feasibility of considering the skin creases on the dorsal aspect of the proximal inter-phalangeal joints (dorsal finger pattern) as a criteria for personal identification. The study included 257 native Bengali subjects, 140 males and 117 females from the city of Kolkata. The dorsal aspects of the fingers of both hands were photographed by a digital camera and the images were analysed on a computer using Microsoft Photoeditor. The skin creases over the proximal inter-phalangeal joints were studied in three segments – proximal, middle and distal. Thus a total of 257 × 10 × 3 = 7710 segments were studied to determine the dorsal finger patterns. Five basic types of stems were noted – horizontal, vertical, oblique, semi-lunar and mixed. Among these the horizontal stem was the most common at 90.49%. Branching was of two types – body branching and terminal branching. Body branching was more common than the terminal type. Semi-lunar stem was the rarest type of stem comprising less than 1%. Accuracy of the technique for confirmation of identity was found to be 91.9%.