HOMED-homicides eastern Denmark: an introduction to a forensic medical homicide database.

Background: An introduction to a forensic medical homicide database established at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen.

Content: The database contains substantial clinical and demographic data obtained in conjunction with medico-legal autopsies of victims and forensic clinical examinations of perpetrators in homicide cases in eastern Denmark.

Validity And Coverage: The database contains information on all homicide cases investigated at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Copenhagen since 1971.

Age-related differences in mechanism, cause, and location of trauma deaths.

Background: Trauma death has traditionally been described as primarily occurring in young men exposed to penetrating trauma or road traffic accidents. The epidemiology of trauma fatalities in Europe may change as a result of the increasing proportion of elderly patients. The goal of this study was to describe age-related differences in trauma type, mechanism, cause and location of death in a well-defined European region.

Fatal overdose of the herbicide bentazone.

A 59-year-old woman who intentionally ingested 100-200 ml Basagran was taken to the hospital with a cardiac arrest 2 days after she had consumed the herbicide. During this period she suffered vomiting, urination and diarrhoea and she was drowsy with a muddled speech. Biological samples obtained at the autopsy were analysed and presence of bentazone, alcohol and an active metabolite of citalopram were detected.

Molecular investigation of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in a criminal case.

Very few criminal cases involving human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transmission have been described. We report on an HIV-1 transmission case with a child being infected by an HIV-1-positive man. The objective was to determine through molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analyses whether HIV-1 from the HIV-1-positive man could be the source of infection in the HIV-1-positive child, as claimed by the authorities.