Iranian Journal of Forensic Medicine
Year:2019 | Volume:25 | Issue:4 (91)|Papers Count:8

Aims According to articles 493 and 539 of the Islamic Penal Code, it is important the time interval between behavior of the perpetrator and its consequence, as well as death due to contagion of injury or unintentional injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the oneyear requests by the judicial authorities of Tehran for contagious and non-contagious injuries in death. Instruments & Methods In this descriptive study, a total of 77 files of deceased persons were examined in the autopsy room of forensic diagnostic and laboratory center of Tehran province in 2018, and required information was extracted. Findings The judicial authority requesting injuries was most often the special investigator for the murder and in most cases, the interval between injury and death was less than a week. The amount of contagious injuries was higher than non-contagious injuries. 16 deceased (20. 8%) died at the scene. In addition, 14 (18. 2%) cases of contagion were reported as having a relative effect. Conclusion The deceased who died on the scene do not fall under the category of contagion. It is also incorrect to declare the contagion of the damage in the form of a relative impact on the authors' beliefs; therefore, injuries are merely divided into contagious and non-contagious. In any case, it will be up to the forensic doctor to determine whether the death is due to contagion.

Aim(s) In recent years, fictitious accidents have become a serious problem for the insurance and judiciary. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of traffic accidents in referrals to Bandar Abbas forensic medical center with detecting of fictitious injuries in the one year period from 2016 to 2017. Instruments & Methods In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 58 injured of traffic accidents referred to the forensic medicine department of Hormozgan province were investigated by submitting a letter of judicial authority from 2016 to 2017. The collected data were analyzed by Stata 12 statistical software. Findings The mean number of the injured was 2. 55± 0. 83, the mean amount of atonement determined was 31. 17± 2. 70 million tomans and the mean interval between the events until the first referral to forensic medicine was 13. 49± 5. 00 days. 31. 0% of the accidents occurred between 00-3: 59 Am. The highest frequency of injuries vehicle was related to motorcycles (77. 6%) and the most frequent of beater vehicle was car (69. 0%). 52. 2% of the accidents occurred on the routes within the city. In 82. 8% of cases, the emergency department was present at the scene and in 87. 9% the injured were taken to hospital. In 29 cases (50. 0%) the judicial sentence was fictitious accident. Conclusion The mean interval between the events until the first referral to forensic medicine is about 14 days. Most accidents happen in the early hours of the morning. The highest frequency of injuries vehicle is related to motorcycles and the most frequent of beater vehicle is car. The most of accidents occurrs on the routes within the city. The judicial sentence in half of the cases has been in line with the forensic expert theory (fictitious accident).

Aim(s) Obstetricians and gynecologists are at the top of medical malpractice complaints. Medical malpractice in this regard can lead to consequences such as neonatal and fetal deaths, maternal defects, maternal deaths and neonatal defects. The aim of this study was to investigate the medical malpractice of obstetricians and gynecologists in the complaint records referred to the forensic medicine commission of Tehran Province during 2015-2017. Instruments & Methods This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 366 complaint files of obstetricians and gynecologists who were referred to the Forensic Medicine Commission of Tehran Province during 2015-2017, and data on patient and physician characteristics, type of injury, cause and effect of complaint were extracted. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software and Chi-square test. Findings Of the 366 cases studied, 90. 7% of the physicians were women, and faculty members had less complaints than other physicians. But there was no significant difference between male and female physicians and with different degrees of science in terms of the types of medical malpractice and injury that led to complaints (p>0. 05). 68. 1% of complaints were related to patients who referred to governmental hospitals for treatment and there was a significant relationship between type of malpractice and place of treatment (p<0. 05). Conclusion The most common cause of gynecological medical malpractice is negligence. There was no relationship between demographic characteristics of physicians, including age, sex, degree, and work experience with the type of medical malpractice with respect to the forensic results and the type of injury to the patient.

Aim(s) The survival rate of patients with vegetative state depends on many factors such as the amount of medical equipment used and how they are cared. By obtaining an average survival rate, one can estimate the average maintenance cost. The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival rate of patients with vegetative state referred to forensic medicine centers in Tehran from the beginning of 2008 to the end of 2017. Instruments & Methods In this retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study, 58 records of patients with vegetative state referred to forensic medical centers in Tehran during 10 years (beginning of 2008 to the end of 2017) were studied. Data were analyzed by SPSS 23 software using chi-square test. Findings 31 patients (53. 4%) were still alive at the time of study and 27 patients (46. 6%) were dead. The mean of survival rate of patients with vegetative state was 6. 39± 1. 50 months ranged from 2 to 192 months. There was no significant relationship between survival rate of patients with vegetative state and sex, age and cause of vegetative state (p>0. 05). Conclusion The mean of survival rate of patients with vegetative state referred to forensic medicine centers in Tehran from the beginning of 2008 to the end of 2017 is 6. 39± 1. 50 months. The minimum survival rate after vegetative state has been 2 months and the maximum has been 192 months (16 years). Therefore, the average cost of maintaining them can be estimated.

Introduction Strychnine is a natural alkaloid, which is used as pesticide for many years. In this report, a case of suicide with Strychnine was presented. Patient Information In a suicide scene, a 55-year-old male health worker was found with spastic and arched back spine and rigid muscles similar to rigor mortis. In autopsy, signs of superficial burning were seen in the mucous membranes of mouth, pharynx. The lungs were anthracotic and edematic and had diffuse hemorrhage. There were signs of ischemia in the ventricular muscles. A suicidal note and a glass containing a small amount of a white fluid were found in death scene. Samples of contents of stomach, gallbladder, blood, and liver were obtained for toxicology investigations. In these samples, the presence of strychnine toxin was confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography. Conclusion Despite the ban on the use of strychnine, it seems that this poison is still used in some areas. By observing suicide cases, it seems that there is a need for more precise monitoring to prevent stereotypes.

Aim(s) Given the importance of the impact of occupational stress on many aspects of one's life, it is imperative to examine it in various organizations and departments, including forensic staff, for its role in health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of happiness training based on Fordyce model on cognitive emotional regulation strategies and job burnout of forensic medicine staff. Materials & Methods This semi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design with a control group was conducted on 30 forensic medical staff in Tabriz in 2018 who were selected by random sampling method and randomly divided into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of happiness training based on Fordyce model. Subjects in both groups completed cognitive emotional regulation and burnout questionnaires in pre-and post-test stages. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20 software using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings After the educational intervention, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of positive cognitive emotional regulation strategies (except triviality) and negative cognitive emotional regulation strategies as well as emotional exhaustion and personal inadequacy of burnout in control and experimental groups (p<0. 05), but the mean score of depersonalization component of burnout was not significantly different between the two groups (p>0. 05). Conclusion Happiness training based on Fordyce model is effective and useful to deal with stressful occupations that in the long run lead to difficulty in emotional regulation and burnout.

Aim(s) Damage is known as a major risk to adult health in the world and is the most common cause of death. Fraud and scenes and fake accidents are a social disorder and a serious threat to the country. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of false accidents in Mazandaran Province Forensic Medical Center in 2011-2016. Instruments & Methods In this descriptive-analytical research, all available cases of false accidents in Mazandaran Province Forensic Medical Center during 2011-2016 were studied. The tool used in the research was a questionnaire prepared on the basis of patterns and components in the relevant files. Data were categorized and analyzed by SPSS 20 software using descriptive statistics. Findings Of the 79 cases reviewed, 94. 9% were male, 50. 6% were single and 82. 2% had freelance job. The most common type of accidents was motorcycle collision with car (35. 4%) and the most of the injured was motorcycle driver (30. 4%). 58. 2% of the studied cases lived outside the province, which 38. 0% of them reported the traveling as the reason for being in the province. Conclusion In most cases, false accidents occur in the late hours of the night and the first hours of the day. Usually the vehicle has one or two occupants and the accident happens somewhere outside the city. Injuries are common to all occupants and in most cases are symmetric. All of these cases indicate that the reported accidents are fictitious. Most of the people surveyed also have freelance jobs.

Aim(s) Child abuse is a common crime and it is caused by multiple individual and environmental factors that are combined. It increases the likelihood of this type of social harm. The aim of this study was to investigate the effective factors of child abuse within family. Participants & Methods In this study, qualitative method and in-depth interviews with experts were used and by analyzing the biographical data of 12 reported cases, in addition to describing the sociological characteristics of the victims, the presence of effective factors on child abuse was assessed in each sample. Findings Poverty index in 5 cases, single parent unstable family index in 8 cases, addiction index in 6 cases, lack of self-care education in 5 cases and mental retardation index in 3 cases were observed. Girls were more to be abused than boys. Child abuse by child acquaintances was more than strangers. Repeated and continuous child abuse was more than accidental cases. In more than half of the cases, the phenomenon of divorce, addiction and poverty was found in the living environment of the affected children. Sexual abuse of girls was reported more than physical and emotional abuse. Conclusion Factors affecting child abuse include poverty, unstable and single parent families, addiction, lack of self-care education, and mental retardation and disability.