Shrabana Kumar Naik

Multiple variations of firearm injuries - a case report.

Variation from common findings in death due to firearm injury is not commonly encountered. When there is an atypical finding, the forensic pathologist may feel it difficult for differentiating firearm entry wound from firearm exit wound, tracing the wound track, estimating approximate range of firing and differentiating suicidal injury from homicidal injury. Failure to differentiate entry wound from exit wound can cause error in calculating number of projectiles entered into the body, lodged inside the body or exited through the body, besides posing problem in ascertaining direction of firing and direction of wound track etc. Failure to differentiate contact or close range firearm injury from distant range firearm injury can lead to wrong interpretation about the manner of death. The authors have reported a fatal case of rifled firearm injury showing multiple variations from common findings.

Age estimation from IV rib by phase analysis in Indian females

Metamorphosis at the sternal extremity of the rib has already been established as a reliable indicator of age at death by Iscans phase method introduced in 1985. The purpose of this paper is to apply rib phase standards to an Indian sample to test if the progression of morphological changes follows the same age sequence. The rib sample shows that an accurate estimation of age can be made by direct examination of the bone itself. The sample consisted of 63 ribs of known age, sex, and race. The ribs were assigned to one of nine phases (0 through 8) based on changes noted at the costochondral junction. These included the formation of a pit, its depth and shape, configuration of the walls and rim surrounding it, and the overall texture and quality of the bone. Statistical analysis revealed that the features chosen to delineate the phases are valid predictors of age. This study has shown that the sternal rib can provide an accurate estimation of age in females spanning a mean age of 14 to 85 years.

Autopsy diagnosis of a death due to scorpion stinging – A case report

Post-mortem diagnosis of envenomation by a scorpion with or without a reliable history is a herculean task for any forensic pathologist. The challenge is compounded when stinging occurs at night, with the history remaining unreliable. The autopsy diagnosis is further complicated when the inflicted wound is small, and the mark is obliterated by healing within few days. As the venom of a scorpion is a mixture of enzymes, most of the forensic science laboratories in India fail to diagnose the poisoning. We present a case in which there was no external evidence of stinging, but the internal post-mortem findings along with histology of the organ systems pointed towards the diagnosis and were corroborated by the history. We reemphasise the importance of pathological sampling of organ systems, whenever there is death due to a suspicious, unknown insect bite.