Talita Zerbini

The effect of sildenafil on pulmonary embolism-induced oxidative stress and pulmonary hypertension.

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a major cause of pulmonary hypertension and death. We examined the effects of sildenafil on the hemodynamic changes caused by APE in anesthetized dogs. Sham-operated dogs (n = 3) received only saline. APE was induced by stepwise IV injections of 300 &mgr;m microspheres in amounts adjusted to increase mean pulmonary artery pressures by 20 mm Hg. Hemodynamic evaluation was performed at baseline, after APE was induced, and then after sildenafil 0.25 mg/kg (n = 8), or sildenafil 1 mg/kg + 0.3 mg · kg−1 · h−1 (n = 8) or saline (n = 9) infusions were started. Similar experiments were conducted to examine the effects of sildenafil in rat isolated perfused lung preparation. Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive species were also determined in both studies to measure oxidative stress. Both doses of sildenafil reduced mean pulmonary artery pressures in dogs by approximately 8 to 16 mm Hg (both P < 0.05) and attenuated the increase in oxidative stress after APE. Mean arterial blood pressure remained unaltered after both doses of sildenafil. Sildenafil produced similar effects after APE in rat isolated perfused lung preparation. These findings indicate that IV sildenafil can selectively attenuate the increases in mean pulmonary artery pressures after APE, possibly through antioxidant mechanisms.

Sudden death caused by fibrovascular esophageal polyp: case report and study review.

Benign tumors of the esophagus are rare but can lead be fatal when aspirated into the upper airway. Here, we describe a sudden death due to aspiration of a fibrovascular polyp supported by a review of 11 cases from the literature.

Blood alcohol levels in suicide by hanging cases in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Suicide is one of the main causes of violent death worldwide, and has become a public health issue. Since alcohol consumption is associated with the increase in the number of suicides and hanging is one of the main methods used worldwide, the present study consists of an epidemiological analysis of BACs in victims of suicide by hanging autopsied in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The objective of the present work was to establish an epidemiological profile and evaluate blood alcohol concentrations in victims of suicide by hanging in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, in the year of 2007. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted by collection of secondary data from autopsy reports of victims of hanging. According to the present study, positive results for alcohol were higher in male victims, but the mean BAC was higher in women.

Differences between postmortem computed tomography and conventional autopsy in a stabbing murder case

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present work is to analyze the differences and similarities between the elements of a conventional autopsy and images obtained from postmortem computed tomography in a case of a homicide stab wound. METHOD: Comparison between the findings of different methods: autopsy and postmortem computed tomography. RESULTS: In some aspects, autopsy is still superior to imaging, especially in relation to external examination and the description of lesion vitality. However, the findings of gas embolism, pneumothorax and pulmonary emphysema and the relationship between the internal path of the instrument of aggression and the entry wound are better demonstrated by postmortem computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: Although multislice computed tomography has greater accuracy than autopsy, we believe that the conventional autopsy method is fundamental for providing evidence in criminal investigations.

Suicides by hanging and its association with meteorological conditions in São Paulo

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the association between daily cases of hanging suicides and meteorological conditions in São Paulo, Brazil. We considered a retrospective observational study based on the analysis of all necroscopic medical-expert reports available in digital form from the central unit of the Instituto Médico Legal (Medical Legal Institute) of São Paulo between July 1, 2006 and June 31, 2007. The meteorological variables were combined via Principal Components Analysis. In order to explain their association with the frequency of suicides, Poisson regression models were employed. The analysis suggests that hotter and brighter days are associated with higher incidence of hanging suicides.