Rare consequences of a single fist punch to the orbital region - a description of two cases.

A direct punch with a clenched fist to the face most often results in soft tissue damage, which is usually not serious enough to be considered a severe health impairment. This article presents two cases in which a single punch to the orbital region led to a blowout fracture. The first case resulted in additional displacement of the right lens into the vitreous body, secondary glaucoma and retinal detachment.

The impact of lifetime substance use on psychiatric comorbidities and treatment seeking in patients with alcohol use disorders.

It is well-recognized that individuals with alcohol-related disorders often use other psychoactive substances; however, systematic research on this topic remains limited. The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of lifetime psychoactive substance use and describe the dependence between concurrent use of alcohol and other drugs on psychiatric comorbidities in the analyzed group. The secondary aim was to try to assess the frequency of seeking psychiatric treatment between individuals declaring the concurrent use of alcohol with other drugs and those declaring the use only alcohol.

The case of an abused child exposed to the direct danger of serious damage to health in the form of a permanent mental illness.

Prolonged exposure to violence in any form takes a toll on children's health. It may increase the risk of multiple mental disorders appearing in adult life. Such disorders may be of severe intensity, and in extreme cases, they can even disable normal functioning both individually and socially.

Life time use of illicit substances among adolescents and young people hospitalized in psychiatric hospital.

Adolescents are known to be particularly vulnerable, compared to children and adults, to initiation of substance use and progression to problematic use. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and type of illicit drug use in a population of adolescents and young adults who were hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital. The purpose of the study was also to find the link between age, sex, type of admission and particular mental disorders and using psychoactive substances at least once in a lifetime.

Analytically confirmed presence of psychoactive substances, especially new psychoactive substances in a group of patients hospitalized with mental and behavioural disorders due to the use of psychoactive substances diagnosis.

Objectives: The study assessed the presence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in comparison to "classic" drugs in the group of newly admitted patients with mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychoactive substances diagnosis (section F11-19 according to ICD-10).

Material And Methods: Data from anamnesis and the blood and urine samples were collected from 116 patients diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use. All of them expressed written informed consent.

Characteristics of psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders caused by psychoactive substances (F11-19 block), with a focus on NPS and psychiatric co-morbidities.

Objectives: This study analyzed the prevalence of new psychoactive substance (NPS) use in the analyzed group and compared demographic features and psychoactive substance profiles between the 2 subgroups (NPS users, non-NPS users). The secondary measure was used to determine the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in study group and to compare demographic features and psychoactive substance profiles between 2 subgroups (the F11-19 only diagnosed group and the F11-19 group with psychiatric comorbidities according to ICD-10).

Material And Methods: A 12-month retrospective cross-sectional analysis of medical records compiled for adult psychiatric patients who had been admitted to the Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Olsztyn, Poland, in October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017 was conducted.

Methods for the initial (non-laboratory) assessment of unfitness for driving caused by psychoactive substances.

The psychophysical impairment of drivers caused by psychoactive substances is still a common and important factor in road accidents. While in the case of ethyl alcohol the initial detection of drivers who have consumed alcohol is not a problem due to the widespread use of breathalyzers, other psychoactive substances are a problem. These substances are a group of numerous, variously acting and regularly growing compounds.

Evaluation of survival time and acting capability after fatal injuries based on the type and extent of injuries.

One of the tasks of the forensic specialist is to attempt to determine the interval between fatal injuries and death, and to assess whether the victim could be physically active before death and, if so, to what extent. There is ongoing research aimed at the application of additional tests (histological, immunohistochemical and others) to answer these questions. Unfortunately, currently used methods have numerous limitations and require further improvements.

Role of Stem Cells in Pathophysiology and Therapy of Spondyloarthropathies-New Therapeutic Possibilities?

Considerable progress has been made recently in understanding the complex pathogenesis and treatment of spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Currently, along with traditional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), TNF-α, IL-12/23 and IL-17 are available for treatment of such diseases as ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Although they adequately control inflammatory symptoms, they do not affect the abnormal bone formation processes associated with SpA.

[Evaluating the applicability of medical examinations constituting "the protocol of obtaining a blood sample" in measuring the degree of intoxication].

Breathalysing and blood analysis is the basic instrument of measuring the level of intoxication. Prior to collecting a blood sample, an individual suspected of being under the influence of alcohol is examined by a physician, who fills out the "protocol of obtaining a blood sample". This work aims at evaluating the applicability of the described examination in measuring the level of intoxication.

[Bullet embolism].

Bullet embolism is an uncommon consequence of penetrating firearm injuries, rarely observed in everyday forensic practice. The present report presents two cases of gunshot bullet embolism. The first examined case is a contact gunshot wound with the entry wound situated at the back of the victim.

[A case of homicide by ergotamine poisoning].

The report presents a rare case of homicide. A mummified body of a man was found bricked up in the kitchen. Toxicological examination revealed high concentration levels of ergotamine in the internal organs and blood.

[Bacterial nosocomial infections in the material of the Chair of Forensic Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Medical University in Bydgoszcz in the years 2000-2006].

The ever increasing number of legal claims and lawsuits associated with nosocomial infections has become a serious problem. The present authors analyzed the medicolegal opinions regarding nosocomial bacterial infections issued by the faculty of the Bydgoszcz Department of Forensic Medicine in the years 2000-2006. Within the evaluated period, the investigators observed an increase in the number of court cases concerning hospital-acquired infections.

[Gunshot wounds in the material of Forensic Medicine Institute, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz].

The Medical Forensic Institute, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz annually conducts approximately 600 autopsies. Gunshot wounds constitute only a small percentage of that number. The authors of this work have conducted an analysis of autopsy protocols prepared at the Institute in the years 1995-2005.

[Medical criteria of delaying or stopping imprisonment].

Estimating the subject's ability to undergo imprisonment and determining whether there are any reasons for delaying or stopping imprisonment, has become a serious problem. Currently the Polish system lacks clear and homogenous opinionating criteria, and the available sources provide only general guidelines. This results in a great deal of discrepancy between opinions and evaluations made in similar cases.

[Problems associated with medico-legal opinionating in spine injuries--a case report].

The paper presents a case of a 44-year old male with a compression fracture of the thoracic spine. In view of incomplete medical records and divergent results of medical examinations, the case gave rise to considerable difficulties in medico-legal opinionating.

[Analysis of deaths caused by rail-vehicles in the materials collected by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1992-2002].

The analysis focused on cases of death following accidents involving rail-vehicles, in which autopsies were performed at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1992-2002. Sixty-five individuals died in train accidents (80%), 16 people (20%) were victims of tram accidents (20%). Males constituted 86% of the material, while females accounted for 14%.

[Opinionating in cases of assessing the subject's ability to undergo imprisonment in materials collected by the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years 1998-2003].

Estimating the subject's ability to undergo imprisonment and determining whether there are any reasons for delaying or interrupting the execution of the penalty has become a serious problem. Currently, the Polish system lacks clear and uniform opinionating criteria, and the available sources provide only general guidelines. The present report outlines the legal criteria in force in such cases and describes the opinionating criteria used in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz.

[Myocardial infarction as an occupational injury as represented in the materials collected at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Bydgoszcz in the years between 2000 and 2004].

Myocardial infarction is defined as coagulational necrosis of the cardiac muscle caused by ischaemia. In the majority of cases, myocardial infarction is a consequence of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Excessive physical or mental effort can lead to a sudden increase in the required supply of oxygen necessary for the proper functioning of the cardiac muscle and in consequence to cardiac muscle necrosis.

[Methods of preliminary evaluation of psychophysical skills of drivers].

Drug and medication use-associated impairment of driving skills is increasingly becoming a serious problem. Detecting such DUI drivers is very difficult due to the diversity of drugs that affect the central nervous system (CNS), or to the possibility of using several drugs simultaneously. In practice there are numerous different simple tests, which do not require special equipment and can be used for preliminary detection of persons, who are suspected of taking drugs causing impairment of driving skills.

[The degree of closure of the cranial sutures as a quick method for adult age evaluation in autopsy].

The aim of this paper was to test a method of quick evaluation of age of deceased during autopsies based on examination of cranial suture closure. The age of 20 males and 20 females was evaluated based on sagittal and fragments of the coronal and lambdoid sutures. The results were compared with the actual chronological age of the deceased calculated on the basis of their dates of birth and demise.

[Using Lamendin and Meindl-Lovejoy methods for age at death estimation of the unknown person].

The paper presents the precise description of two methods used for age estimation on the base of single rooted tooth and cranial suture obliteration. Using the methods mentioned above, the age at death of the unknown person was estimated. A comparison of the estimated age and chronological age derived after identification, showed high usefulness of the mentioned methods.