Diagnosis of drowning by summation of sodium, potassium, and chloride ion levels in sphenoidal sinus fluid: Differentiating between freshwater and seawater drowning and its application to brackish water and bathtub deaths.

Analysis of ions in sphenoidal fluid can be a useful index for the diagnosis of drowning. We evaluated the reference ranges of non-drowning cases using statistical methods and three indices: sodium ion (Na), summation of sodium and potassium ions (SUM), and summation of sodium, potassium and chloride ions (SUM). The reference ranges were 96≤Na<152, 139≤SUM<179, 243≤SUM<311(mEq/L), respectively.

Myocardial Rupture following Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

We present the first case of severe cardiotoxicity of carbon monoxide leading to myocardial rupture and fatal outcome. 83-year-old woman was hospitalized 4 hours after the fire in her house with no respiratory or cardiac symptoms. After two days, she has suffered sudden collapse leading to cardiac arrest.

Characteristics of cardiovascular deaths in forensic medical cases in Budapest, Vilnius and Tallinn.

Evaluation of the pathomorphological characteristics of cases involving natural and sudden cardiovascular death is essential for the determination of the cause of death. The main purpose of this study is to investigate sudden unexpected cardiovascular death and to study how different geographical climatic influences may affect cardiac mortality in three capitals: Budapest, Vilnius and Tallinn. There were 8482 (5753 male, 2729 female) cardiovascular deaths between 2005 and 2009.

Fatal traffic injuries among children and adolescents in three cities (capital Budapest, Vilnius, and Tallinn).

Motor vehicle accidental injuries are a frequent cause of death among young children and adolescents. The goal of this study was to compare patterns of injury between three capitals (Budapest, Vilnius, and Tallinn). Information on 190 fatal traffic accidents (69 pedestrians, 14 bicyclists, and 107 motor vehicle occupants) between 2002 and 2006 was collected from databases of medico-legal autopsies.

Investigation of calcium and sodium in postmortem material as biochemical markers defining the cause of death from hypothermia.

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of calcium and sodium measurements in the heart, liver, and muscle autopsy samples as biochemical markers defining the cause of death from hypothermia. The concentration of electrolytes in selected internal organ tissues of persons who died from hypothermia (n=26) was compared with element concentrations in analogous tissues of persons that died due to other causes (control group, n=26). Our study showed no significant differences in the calcium content of tissues in persons who died from hypothermia, over those who died in normothermic conditions.