Article
Acoustics
S. C. Shelmerdine, N. J. Sebire, O. J. Arthurs
Summary: The diagnostic accuracy of postmortem ultrasound (PM-US) and postmortem magnetic resonance imaging (PM-MRI) for perinatal autopsy is similar, with high concordance rates for overall diagnosis and individual anatomical regions.
ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Henry N. Njuguna, Sherif R. Zaki, Drucilla J. Roberts, Emily A. Rogena, Edwin Walong, Corinne L. Fligner, M. Kelly Keating, Andrew K. Gachii, Elizabeth Maleche-Obimbo, Grace Irimu, John Mathaiya, Noelle Orata, Rosemarie Lopokoiyit, Jackson Michuki, Gideon O. Emukule, Clayton O. Onyango, Stella Gikunju, Collins Owuor, Peter K. Muturi, Milka Bunei, Maria Gloria Carvalho, Barry Fields, Joshua A. Mott, Marc-Alain Widdowson, Sandra S. Chaves
Summary: The research revealed that in Kenya, acute respiratory infections remain the leading cause of death in children under 5 years old, with pneumonia being the main cause of death in cases associated with infectious disease processes. Despite established vaccination programs, some deaths were still preventable through vaccines.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Max Guillaume Mentink, Bart G. H. Latten, Frans C. H. Bakers, Casper Mihl, Faysal Benali, Patty J. Nelemans, Roger J. M. W. Rennenberg, Richard P. Koopmans, Dennis C. J. J. Bergmans, Bela Kubat, Paul A. M. Hofman
Summary: This study found that agreement with autopsy-determined cause of death was significantly higher when using postmortem CT or postmortem CT combined with postmortem sampling compared to clinical assessment alone. Additionally, cases with conventional autopsy had higher prevalence of circulatory system involvement and perfusion disorders, but lower prevalence of pulmonary system involvement.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lei Chen, Tian Xia, Rasika Rampatige, Hang Li, Tim Adair, Rohina Joshi, Zhen Gu, Huiting Yu, Bo Fang, Deirdre McLaughlin, Alan D. Lopez, Chunfang Wang, Zheng'an Yuan
Summary: The study found that approximately 30% of deaths in Shanghai either occur at home or are not medically attended, leading to unreliable cause of death records. However, the Smart Verbal Autopsy (VA) tool was able to improve the accuracy of determining the cause of death, particularly for residual causes such as other or ill-defined cancers and non-communicable diseases.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Pathology
Max G. Mentink, Frans C. H. Bakers, Casper Mihl, Max J. Lahaye, Roger J. M. W. Rennenberg, Bart G. H. Latten, Bela Kubat, Paul A. M. Hofman
Summary: The implementation of postmortem CT and postmortem sampling increased the postmortem examination rate without adversely affecting the traditional autopsy rate, demonstrating the feasibility of a multidisciplinary postmortem examination in daily practice.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Armaan Shergill, Peter Conner, Machelle Wilson, Bennet Omalu
Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy and validity of determining the cause and manner of death at the completion of forensic autopsies. By analyzing 952 autopsy cases conducted from 2019 to 2020, the researchers compared the cause of death, other contributing factors, and manner of death determined during the autopsy prosection to those determined after the final autopsy report. The study found that in the majority of cases, medical professionals can reasonably determine the cause and manner of death after the autopsy prosection.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Vasiliki Chatzaraki, Michael J. Thali, Garyfalia Ampanozi
Summary: This retrospective study indicates that postmortem computed tomography has moderate sensitivity and high specificity in determining the bleeding source in cases with hemoperitoneum. Different PMCT signs are associated with different causes of hemoperitoneum and survival intervals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Camilla Sandrini, Simona Boito, Claudio M. Lombardi, Sophie Lombardi
Summary: Micro-computed tomography (CT) is an effective non-invasive alternative for evaluating human fetal cardiac anatomy, especially in cases of early termination of pregnancy. It shows high diagnostic accuracy and allows for multiple off-time evaluations, making it a valuable tool for educational and research purposes in the fields of biology and bioengineering.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Marina Borri Wolosker, Dafne Braga Diamante Leiderman, Fernanda Alvarenga Estevan, Nelson Wolosker, Antonio Eduardo Zerati, Edson Amaro Jr
Summary: This study compared changes in the vascular system using CT angiography in 38 patients both alive and deceased, finding larger variations in distances between vascular segments than in diameters. The study also observed better repeatability rates in contrast-enhanced postmortem examinations, with the greatest variations in diameter evaluation in specific regions.
ANNALS OF VASCULAR SURGERY
(2021)
Article
Pathology
Robert Pell, S. Kim Suvarna, Nigel Cooper, Guy Rutty, Anna Green, Michael Osborn, Peter Johnson, Alison Hayward, Justine Durno, Theodore Estrin-Serlui, Marion Mafham, Ian S. D. Roberts
Summary: This UK multicentre study examined the disruption of healthcare services and excess mortality during the COVID-19 lockdown using coroners' autopsy reports. The study found that while a small number of deaths were directly attributed to COVID-19, delays in accessing medical care and the lockdown were potential factors contributing to death, particularly in cases of suicide and drug/alcohol-related deaths.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Marcus Littlewood, Chris O'Donnell, Sarah Parsons, Melanie S. Archer, Hans H. de Boer
Summary: Gastric volvulus is a rare but life-threatening medical emergency characterized by the rotation of the stomach by more than 180 degrees. This condition is challenging to diagnose and can be encountered by forensic pathologists in cases of sudden death or suspected medical errors. The post-mortem examination of gastric volvulus is complex due to technical issues and the various mechanisms by which volvulus can result in death. This study presents five cases of gastric volvulus, discussing their presentations, post-mortem findings, and the different ways volvulus can lead to fatal outcomes.
FORENSIC SCIENCE MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mercedes Iglesias, Tomas Ripoll-Vera, Consuelo Perez-Luengo, Ana Belen Garcia, Susana Moyano, Juan Carlos Canos, Juan Carlos Borondo, Jorge Alvarez, Damian Heine-Suner, Bernardino Barcelo
Summary: The study evaluated the diagnostic yield of genetic testing in cases of sudden death in young individuals with findings of uncertain significance, showing a low diagnostic yield and variants of unknown significance being the most frequent variant observed.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Torsten Hansen, Ulf Titze, Nidhi Su Ann Kulamadayil-Heidenreich, Sabine Glombitza, Johannes Josef Tebbe, Christoph Roecken, Birte Schulz, Michael Weise, Ludwig Wilkens
Summary: An 86-year-old man who was previously asymptomatic received the COVID-19 vaccine and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 postmortem, showing immunogenicity without sterile immunity. Despite the cause of death being acute bronchopneumonia and tubular failure, characteristic morphological features of COVID-19 were not observed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Satsuki Okumura, Akihito Usui, Yusuke Kawasumi, Hayato Odagiri, Masato Funayama, Tomohiro Kaneta
Summary: This study aims to identify useful findings for diagnosing liver injury with postmortem CT. The study included 97 high-energy trauma cases and found that abdominal liver findings had limited utility for the diagnosis of liver injury, while a right lower rib fracture was a useful indirect finding.
TOHOKU JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Matthew A. Nestander, Kathryn Berryman, Robert Brady, James Aden, Gayle Haischer-Rollo
Summary: This study aimed to describe the patterns of postmortem investigations for perinatal deaths and compare the degree of investigation between stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. The findings indicate that stillbirths are more likely to undergo autopsies and genetic testing compared to neonatal deaths, highlighting the need for improved investigation methods for neonatal deaths.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PERINATOLOGY
(2023)