Performance of an on-site urine multidrug test used by forensic physicians in determining the cause of death.

Forensic physicians in the region of Amsterdam routinely collect blood and urine samples during external examinations. A rapid on-site multidrug test is used to screen the urine samples for the presence of commonly used drugs classes. Urine and blood samples are sent to the laboratory for additional toxicological analysis.

[Forensic implications of humane self-chosen death in the Netherlands].

Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, some individuals decide to plan their self-chosen death without the help of a physician. 'Right-to-die' organisations provide advice about humane deaths, which include voluntary refusal of food and fluids, the helium method and use of a lethal overdose of medication.

[Increase in reporting of child deaths; analysis of recent forensic services data].

Objective: We investigated the degree of reporting of child deaths in 2017 and compared this with data from 2012. Furthermore, we assessed the characteristics of these deaths and in how many cases the forensic doctor performed a post-mortem examination.

Design: Observational research.

Medical death certification by forensic physicians in the Netherlands: Validity and interdoctorvariation.

The aim of the study was to assess interdoctorvariation and validity in death certification by forensic physicians using 19 written scenarios. The scenarios described typical cases from forensic-medical practice. Physicians were asked to determine the manner of death (natural/unnatural) and to provide an ICD-10 code for the cause of death.

Characteristics and Post-Decision Attitudes of Non-Reporting Sexual Violence Victims.

Although the physical and psychological consequences of sexual violence can be severe, many victims do not report the violence to the police force. The current study examined the characteristics and the post-decisional attitude of the non-reporting sexual violence victims. In total, 287 victims of sexual violence completed an anonymous online questionnaire that assessed characteristics of the violence, whether or not the crime was reported, reasons for not reporting, and aspects that would have convinced non-reporters to report in retrospect.

Sudden death victims <45 years: Agreement between cause of death established by the forensic physician and autopsy results.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to ascertain accordance between cause of death established by the forensic physician and autopsy results in young sudden death victims in the Netherlands.

Methods: Sudden death victims aged 1-45 years examined by forensic physicians operating in the participating regions which also underwent an autopsy between January 2006 and December 2011 were included (n = 70). Cause of death established by the forensic physician based on the external medicolegal examination was compared with autopsy findings using the ICD10-classification.

Mental health and health-care use of detainees in police custody.

Background: In many countries, forensic physicians function as primary care providers for detainees in police custody. Their task is comparable to the tasks of general practitioners. Nevertheless, problems presented by both patient populations may differ.

Detainees in Amsterdam, a target population of the Public Mental Health System?

The Forensic Medical Service of the Public Health Service offers health care to detainees in police cells in Amsterdam. This study describes the registered mental health, addiction and social problems and compares them to the self-reported problems among a sample of detainees. Registers of the Forensic Medical Service are related to information from registers of police detention episodes.

Screening for mental illness among persons in Amsterdam police custody.

Objective: Research on the mental health of police detainees is scarce. This study aimed to identify the proportion of persons detained by the Police Service Amsterdam-Amstelland who screened positive for a serious mental condition.

Methods: A survey conducted in 2009 among 264 randomly selected detainees assessed demographic characteristics and general medical and mental health and included use of the Brief Jail Mental Health Screen (BJMHS) (N=248).

Prevalence and medical risks of body packing in the Amsterdam area.

Aim: Body packing is a way to deliver packets of drugs across international borders by ingestion. The aim of the study was to provide an estimate of the medical risks of body packing, describe predictors for hospital referral in detained body packers and provide an estimate for the prevalence of body packing in the Amsterdam area.

Methods: From May 2007 to December 2008, we studied medical records of body packers immediately detained after arrival at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, hospital records of both detained body packers and self-referrers at two emergency departments of hospitals in Amsterdam and records kept by forensic physicians in charge of post-mortem examinations of all unnatural deaths in the area (years 2005-2009).

Enhancing the visibility of injuries with narrow-banded beams of light within the visible light spectrum.

The use of narrow-banded visible light sources in improving the visibility of injuries has been hardly investigated, and studies examining the extent of this improvement are lacking. In this study, narrow-banded beams of light within the visible light spectrum were used to explore their ability in improving the visibility of external injuries. The beams of light were induced by four crime-lites(®) providing narrow-banded beams of light between 400 and 550 nm.

Health-care issues and health-care use among detainees in police custody.

Epidemiological research on the physical health status of police detainees is scarce. The present study fills this gap by first studying the somatic reasons for consultation (n = 4396) and related prescriptions (n = 4912) as assessed by the forensic medical service during police detainment. Secondly, a health interview survey was conducted among randomly selected police detainees (n = 264) to collect information regarding their recent disease history and use of health care.

Incidence, causes, and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children. A comprehensive, prospective, population-based study in the Netherlands.

Objectives: This study sought to determine comprehensively the incidence of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and its contribution to total pediatric mortality, the causes of pediatric OHCA, and the outcome of resuscitation of pediatric OHCA patients.

Background: There is a paucity of complete studies on incidence, causes, and outcomes of pediatric OHCA.

Methods: In this prospective, population-based study, OHCA victims younger than age 21 years in 1 province of the Netherlands were registered through both emergency medical services and coroners over a period of 4.

Health care seeking among detained undocumented migrants: a cross-sectional study.

Background: As in many European countries, access to care is decreased for undocumented migrants in the Netherlands due to legislation. Studies on the health of undocumented migrants in Europe are scarce and focus on care-seeking migrants. Not much is known on those who do not seek care.

Post-mortem toxicological urine screening in cause of death determination.

This study evaluated standard toxicology screening by forensic physicians during external post-mortem examination. Collected urine samples of decedents were screened on-site for the presence of 10 commonly used drugs by means of a rapid multidrug test. Urine samples of 53% of the cases appeared to be positive for one or more compounds.

[Cocaine use and sudden death: excited delirium syndrome].

Three patients, men aged 30, 33 and 32 years respectively, died in police custody in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. According to autopsy reports, all patients died from excited delirium syndrome induced by cocaine use. Excited delirium is a state of mental and physiological hyperarousal commonly associated with the use of cocaine.

Growth during infancy and early childhood in relation to blood pressure and body fat measures at age 8-18 years of IVF children and spontaneously conceived controls born to subfertile parents.

Background: Little is known about post-natal growth in IVF offspring and the effects of rates of early post-natal growth on blood pressure and body fat composition during childhood and adolescence.

Methods: The follow-up study comprised 233 IVF children aged 8-18 years and 233 spontaneously conceived controls born to subfertile parents. Growth data from birth to 4 years of age, available for 392 children (n = 193 IVF, n = 199 control), were used to study early post-natal growth.

Pubertal development in children and adolescents born after IVF and spontaneous conception.

Background: Previous studies demonstrated a link between adverse conditions during prenatal life and the development of diseases in adult life. It is still unclear whether IVF conception could permanently affect early prenatal development in humans, with post-natal health consequences. The objective of the present study is to examine pubertal development in 8-18-year-old IVF singletons and controls born from subfertile parents who attended one Dutch fertility clinic were included.

Cardiometabolic differences in children born after in vitro fertilization: follow-up study.

Context: Increasing evidence suggests that adverse conditions during early prenatal life are associated with cardiometabolic dysfunction in postnatal life. In vitro fertilization (IVF) conception may be an early prenatal life event with long-term health consequences.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate several cardiometabolic measures in 8- to 18-yr-old IVF singletons and spontaneously conceived controls born from subfertile parents.

School functioning in 8- to 18-year-old children born after in vitro fertilization.

The aim of this study was to examine the school functioning of 8- to 18-year-old children born after in vitro fertilization (IVF). We compared 233 children born after IVF to 233 matched control children born spontaneously from parents with fertility problems on measures of education level, general cognitive ability, school performance (need for extra help, repeating a grade, special education), and rates of learning and developmental disorders. No differences were found between IVF and control children on these measures of school functioning.

Growth and development of children born after in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To evaluate growth and development of children born after IVF treatment.

Design: Literature review.

Conclusion(s): At present there is substantial evidence that children born after IVF are at increased risk for adverse perinatal outcome, congenital malformations, and rare epigenetic defects.