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.

Forensic Nursing Education and Practice in the Netherlands: Where Are We at?

Background: Forensic nursing is a new discipline to the Netherlands. Since 2013, a program has been in place to train experienced nurses in several aspects of forensic nursing, including injury assessment and wound documentation, sexual assault examination, assessment of child abuse, death investigation, and primary care for detainees of the police.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to provide information on the working environment, self-rated competencies, and practice experiences of forensic nurses after having completed the program.

A record linkage study on former police detainees who died in Amsterdam between 2013 and 2015.

Background: Police detainees are known to have inferior health. This study identifies the number of former police detainees who received medical care among deaths examined by forensic physicians and presents their death characteristics.

Methods: We included all deaths that were examined by forensic physicians of the Public Health Service Amsterdam from 2013 to 2015.

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.

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).

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.

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.

A cohort study of the long-term impact of a fire disaster on the physical and mental health of adolescents.

The literature on adult trauma survivors demonstrates that those exposed to traumatic stress have a poorer physical health status than nonexposed individuals. Studies on physical health effects in adolescent trauma survivors, in contrast, are scarce. In the current study, it was hypothesized that adolescents who have been involved in a mass burn incident (N = 124) will demonstrate more physical and mental health problems than an unaffected cohort from the same community (N = 1,487).

Physical and mental health problems in parents of adolescents with burns--a controlled, longitudinal study.

Objective: Caregiving has been described in the literature as a risk factor for ill health in the carer. This controlled, prospective study examines the course of physical and mental health problems in parents of adolescent survivors of a mass burn incident.

Methods: Health information was extracted from electronic medical records.

Prescription of benzodiazepines in general practice in the context of a man-made disaster: a longitudinal study.

Background: Mental health problems associated with benzodiazepine treatment are often highly prevalent in the aftermath of disasters. Nevertheless, not much is known about benzodiazepine use after disasters. Considering the negative effects associated with prolonged use and the adverse effects of benzodiazepines on recovery of patients with acute stress, the aim of the present study was to explore benzodiazepine use in the context of the Enschede fireworks disaster of 13 May 2000.

Disaster-related stress as a prospective risk factor for hypertension in parents of adolescent fire victims.

Life stress has been related to hypertension in various studies, but well-designed research carried out in disaster settings is scarce. Moreover, most research focuses on the primary victims and disregards effects on their caregivers. In a prospective, population-based cohort study, the authors tested the hypothesis that parents of adolescents who had been involved in the Volendam, Netherlands, pub fire on January 1, 2001 (n = 418) were more at risk of developing hypertension than parents from the same community whose children had not been involved in the fire (n = 1,462).

Disaster and subsequent healthcare utilization: a longitudinal study among victims, their family members, and control subjects.

Background: The impact of disasters on primary healthcare utilization is largely unknown. Moreover, it is often overlooked how disaster affects those closest to the primary victims, their family members.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the long-term effects of a catastrophic fire on primary healthcare utilization.