Fire deaths in Cape Town, South Africa: A retrospective review of medico-legal and toxicological findings (2006 - 2018).

Background: In South Africa, fire-related deaths are common, particularly within dense informal housing settlements. Published data on deaths from fire incidents in Cape Town is sparse. Additionally, little emphasis has been placed on the role of toxicological investigations in these deaths, despite the known risk of alcohol and drug impairment to burn injury.

Investigation into abandoned neonates admitted to Salt River Forensic Pathology Mortuary, Cape Town.

The high rates of abandoned neonatal remains admitted to Salt River Mortuary (SRM), Cape Town, and the dearth of literature published in South Africa prompted a retrospective assessment of these cases to describe the profile and assess the scope of the post-mortem investigation of abandoned neonates, as well as determine the prosecution rate of abandoned live births. Demographic details, scene information and post-mortem findings were obtained from medico-legal case files concerning non-viable fetuses, stillbirths and concealment of birth cases admitted to SRM between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2016 (n=249). Despite the majority of the cases being natural deaths, the cause of death frequently remained 'undetermined' in these cases, often due to the presence of decomposition.