Lethal nitrous oxide (NO) intoxication during surgery: the contribution of immunohistochemistry in identifying the cause of death: a case report.

Background: Nitrous oxide (NO) is a gas used in medicine for its analgesic, anxiolytic and amnesic properties. It is a drug considered safe if adequately administered. In the literature, accidental NO-related deaths are rare.

The Practice of Teaching and Scientific Research on Cadaveric Material Remains Crucial for Medical Education.

The practice of teaching and scientific research on cadaveric material remains crucial for medical education, especially in surgical disciplines. However, in Italy, this practice has been neglected due to legislative insufficiency and financial constraints. Although innovative methods and tools like simulators and e-learning have been adopted, direct hands-on experience with human cadavers remains irreplaceable for medical and surgical education.

Cannabis regulatory system in European Union countries, forensic concept of "doping dose" and medico-legal implications.

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit psychoactive substance in the world. In recent years, in many European Union countries, there has been a decriminalisation of the use and personal possession of cannabis for recreational purposes. There has been a spread of medical cannabis, as well as marketing of cannabis products at low concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9-THC), the major chemical to which cannabis owes its psychotropic effect.

The Importance of the International Community in Protecting the Right to Abortion: The Cases of Malta and of the US Supreme Court.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), abortion is often necessary and is not a criminalizable medical act. Unfortunately, despite the global trend in recent years tending towards liberalization of abortion as a fundamental right of women in certain circumstances, it is still not guaranteed in all countries of the world in the same way. Moreover, the abortion debate is often characterized by unscientific opinions based on political and/or religious ideologies.

Informal caregivers in Italy: the 'phantom zone' of welfare.

Medical progress and the consequent gradual ageing of the population increase the number of people in Europe who require continuous care, as they suffer from chronic diseases or senility. This demand is disproportionate if compared to the economic resources of health systems and is, therefore, heavily supported by the activity of the so-called "informal caregivers". With our article we propose to depict the current scenario in Italy, dwelling on the safeguards, to date, aimed at informal caregivers, which are insufficient to correct the criticalities associated with the burdensome assistance provided by such figures.

Role of forensic medicine in addressing the war crimes: Perspective from Russia-Ukraine conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Criminal Court has recently opened an investigation into the international crimes committed on Ukrainian territory. The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war is a tragic opportunity for a necessary critical and scientific reading of the Rome Statute. In our work, we aim to critically analyse the contents of the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute, with particular attention to the definition and listing of war crimes.

Pharmacological History of Missing Subjects: Perspective of a Correction Factor to Aid in the Study of Bone Remains.

In forensic anthropology, bone mineral density and the estimation of the dating of fractures based on the degree of progress of healing processes are important parameters of study on bone remains. With our article we aim, on the one hand, to highlight the importance that these parameters have in the reconstruction of the biological profile of the subject, as well as the time and the cause of death; on the other hand, we aim to limit their variability according to the medical substances and/or abuse assumed during life by the subject. The aim of this article is to encourage the introduction of the pharmacological history of missing persons as a new correction factor for the study of bone remains, possibly based on new scientific studies that allow us to establish with greater specificity the effect that certain pharmacological therapies produce on bone mass and the speed of remodeling.

Compulsory vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in health care professionals in Italy: Bioethical-legal issues.

On 17 March 2022, the Italian Council of Ministers, by means of Press Release No. 67, sanctioned the extension of the vaccine obligation against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for health workers until 31 December 2022. Healthcare workers who do not demonstrate that they have adequate vaccination coverage will be suspended from work and will not be paid.

Free access to emergency oral contraceptives (EOCs) in the European Union: A regulatory vacuum to be filled.

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), any woman in childbearing age who have decided not to take permanently an oral contraceptive but who are sexually active has the right to access emergency contraception (EC). Despite this, in many European countries there are no specific laws governing the criteria for access to emergency oral contraceptives (EOCs) for girls under 18, especially about the need for third party consent. This normative vacuum is dangerous as it risks creating confusion and entrusting the management of the fundamental right of self-determination to the discretion of others.

Violation of the right to abortion at the time of the war in Ukraine.

Abortion is still a controversial medical practice. One country where it is not possible to have an abortion freely is Poland. During the war between Russia and Ukraine, many Ukrainian women became pregnant due to rape.

Can vaccine adherence against Sars-CoV-2 become a criterion for access to medical care?

Vaccine hesitancy and anti-vax movements are increasing globally. Covid-19 pandemic has caused and causes emergency situations where available resources do not always meet the need for community care.In this article, the authors analyse the bioethical and medico-legal implications of the possibility - in conditions of scarcity of resources - of selecting patients who must have access to medical care based on vaccination against Sars-CoV-2.

Abortion in Europe: Recent legislative changes and risk of inequality.

Background: Induced abortion is a medical practice that has always been much discussed all over the world. Abortion is allowed in most European countries at the request of the woman with limitations that are imposed mainly by the gestational age. However, there are legislative differences between European countries which impose stringent limits on the use of induced abortion.

Fatal fulminant HSV-2 myocarditis: A complicated presentation.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection is the leading cause of genital lesions. Infrequently HSV-2 primary infection can spread and involve other tissue and organs, however in immunocompetent individuals extra-genital complications are rare findings. In this report we present a fatal case of fulminant myocarditis and terminal liver involvement, caused by HSV-2 infection, with a unique presentation.