Syncope and Cannabis: hypervagotonia from chronic abuse? A case report and literature review.

Background: Cannabis is the most consumed drug worldwide and number of users is increasing, particularly among youth. Moreover, cannabis potential therapeutic properties have renewed interest to make it available as a treatment for a variety of conditions. Albeit rarely, cannabis consumption has been associated with cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias, myocardial infarction (MI) and potentially sudden death.

Cigarette Smoking as a Predictor of Male DUI Recidivism.

This study aimed to investigate the predictors of recidivism in first-time driving under the influence (DUI) offenders, analyzing variables derived from medico-legal and toxicological examinations. The research was structured as a comparative study for the period 2012-2019. DUI offenders with a blood alcohol concentration >0.

Reconstruction of the dynamic in a fatal traffic accident with prolonged dragging of the victim.

The post-mortem examination of victims of fatal road crashes and the reconstruction of the dynamic of traffic accidents are fundamental in vehicular homicides, where the degree of negligence/careless of the driver has to be established. Here we present a case in which a pedestrian was dragged along an SUV for 3.5 km, until the vehicle was parked at the house of the driver, arising the suspect of vehicular manslaughter and failure to provide assistance.

Driving license regranting in DUI subjects: Road accident variables and predictive factors of substance use disorder.

A comparative case study (2017-2020) was conducted to identify demographic, social, medico-legal, and toxicological variables associated with non-fatal accidents in driving under the influence (DUI) subjects. A second aim was to identify the factors predictive of substance use disorders among subjects. Drivers charged with alcohol DUI (blood alcohol concentration (BAC) > 0.

The Role of Risk or Contributory Death Factors in Methadone-Related Fatalities: A Review and Pooled Analysis.

Methadone-related deaths are characterized by a wide range of post-mortem blood concentrations, due to the high pharmacokinetic/dynamic inter-individual variability, the potential subjective tolerance state and to other risk factors or comorbidities, which might enhance methadone acute toxicity. In the present study, the association among pre-existing and external conditions and diseases and the resultant methadone death capacity have been investigated. Beside a systematic literature review, a retrospective case-control study was done, dividing cases in which methadone was the only cause of death (controls), and those with associated clinical-circumstantial (naive/non-tolerant state), pathological (pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases) or toxicological (other drugs detected) conditions.

The potential of micro-CT for dating post-cranial bone fractures: a macroscopic, radiographic, and microtomography study of fractures of known post-traumatic ages.

The estimation of the post-traumatic survival time (PTST) in case of bone injuries remains a tricky issue in the forensic field, especially when dealing with dry bones. Newer high-resolution imaging, and in particular microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), has the potential to significantly improve our abilities to interpret antemortem and perimortem lesions and accurately date fractures in a less destructive analysis. In this paper, nine costal fractures of known post-traumatic ages were analyzed through gross examination, conventional radiography, and microcomputed tomography, in order to test the potential of microcomputed tomography for dating fractures.

Determination of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human hair by liquid chromatography-high accurate mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF).

Biomonitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in hair is conventionally achieved by SPE extraction and liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole analysis, with sensitivities in the range of ng/g. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid method to detect 20 perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in human hair from general populations by SPE purification and liquid-chromatography coupled to accurate mass measurement (LC-QTOF). The obtained sensitivities (LOQ), linearity and RSD accuracies were respectively in the range of 0.

COVID-19: The wrong target for healthcare liability claims.

Regrettably, after a first moment of appreciation and praise of the citizens for healthcare personnel facing COVID 19 pandemia, numerous episodes of actions taken against them on the issue of their legal liability followed. Impelling is to start an argumentation on this problem that aims to establish a shared conduct in dealing with them. The authors propose a basis for discussion on which to begin a constructive debate.

Homicide and concealment of the corpse. Autopsy case series and review of the literature.

Introduction: The concealment of the body following a homicide undermines different moments of the forensic and medico-legal investigations. The aim of the present study is to provide an overview of the literature and the forensic casuistry of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Padova for analyzing and discussing diverse methodological approaches for the forensic pathologist dealing with covered-up homicides.

Material And Methods: A literature review, updated until September 2019, was performed, and a literature pool of forensic cases was built.

Neurocognitive and behavioral markers in DUI recidivists.

Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol recidivism may be a risk-taking behavior motivated by a change in decision-making capacity. Decision-making capacity has been investigated by event-related potentials (ERPs) acquisition and specifically by analyzing feedback-related negativity (FRN) reflecting the activity of medial prefrontal cortex. Thus, the aim of our study was to test the role of FRN as a possible neurophysiological marker of underestimation of risk associated with DUI recidivism to provide novel insights into the influence of neurocognitive aspects of driving ability.

Intra-class and inter-class tool discrimination through micro-CT analysis of false starts on bone.

Micro-CT has successfully been applied to the characterization of false starts (FSs) and, among several parameters, kerf width seems to correlate to the tool blade. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of micro-CT for the differentiation of saw marks produced by different classes of saws and by saws belonging to the same class and differing only in number of teeth per inches (TPI). A morphological and morphometric analysis of 84 marks, produced by 6 saws belonging to 3 morphological classes, was performed.

The Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus Clarkii (the Louisiana Crayfish) as a Particular Scavenger on a Human Corpse.

An 85-year-old man was found deceased floating in an irrigation ditch 18 days after his disappearance. During crime scene investigation, specimens of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii were found in proximity of the body. The feeding activity of these nonendemic crayfishes contributed to the formation of specific injuries on the body and in the production of a large substance defects inside the corpse.

Skin lesions and traditional folk practices: a medico-legal perspective.

The correct assessment of signs of abuse on the skin is a challenge of utmost importance for both clinical and forensic applications. This review aims to investigate how differing cultural behaviors influence the perception of abuse, focusing on the need for a multidisciplinary approach and investigation. A literature search for articles that discussed folk practices from a forensic perspective was performed; articles with reference to abuse in the description of the main folk healing techniques and with reference to the differential diagnosis between physical abuse and skin injuries due to folk healing techniques were selected.

Radiological investigation of gunshot wounds: a systematic review of published evidence.

Introduction: Despite the constantly growing popularity of radiological imaging in forensic pathology, a systematic review investigating the efficiency and limits of radiological techniques, in comparison to forensic autopsy, was still missing.

Aim: The present review aims at providing an overview on the current role of radiology in the forensic investigation of fatal gunshot wounds without any restriction to specific radiological techniques.

Material And Methods: A systematic literature search on three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct) was performed until December 2017.

A Study on Photostability of Ethyl Glucuronide in Hair Irradiated under Artificial Sunlight.

Drugs incorporated into hair are exposed to the environment, and cosmetic and chemical treatments, with possible decreases in their content. Knowledge concerning the effect of sunlight on drug content in hair can be helpful to forensic toxicologists, in particular, when investigating drug concentrations above or below pre-determined cut-offs. Twenty-eight authentic positive hair samples were selected which had previously tested positive for ethyl glucuronide (EtG).

Possible fatal hyperthermia involving drug abuse in a vehicle: case series.

Major interplaying causes of heat stroke (HS) and fatal hyperthermia are climate, physical activity, artificial extreme ambient temperatures, confinement in a small compartment, and effects of drugs and chemicals, combined with predispositions and complications. A common and unfortunate cause of HS is vehicular hyperthermia (VH) death. Hyperthermia in a vehicle is a type of environmental thermal disorder, involving victim's susceptibility, confinement with restraint, and possible influences of drugs and poisons, including exhaust gas containing complex fumes, carbon dioxide and monoxide.

Post-mortem thermal angiography: a pilot study on swine coronary circulation.

Thermal imaging (TI) allows the detection of thermal patterns emitted from objects as a function of their temperature in the long-infrared spectrum and produces visible images displaying temperature differences. The aim of this pilot study was to test TI to visualize the coronary circulation of swine hearts. Thirty swine hearts were prepared for ex situ coronarography, and thermal images were acquired through a FlirOne thermal camera (FLIR Systems®) paired with a Google Android Smartphone.

Multiple incidence of the prescription diuretic hydrochlorothiazide in compounded nutritional supplements.

Diuretic agents are prohibited in sports in- and out-of-competition according to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because of their possible masking effects on other doping agents in urine samples, and their ability to produce fast acute weight losses. Despite previous studies reported adverse analytical findings (AAFs) resulting from contaminations at ppm level (μg/g) of medicinal products, and recommended to introduce reporting limits for diuretics in doping controls, these are not adopted in analyses performed by WADA-accredited laboratories. We report the case of an athlete with two AAFs for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) at low urinary concentrations (<10 ng/mL), who declared the use of nutritional supplements prepared in a compounding pharmacy.