摘要:

This is a review of the experiences and activities of various specialty groups that constituted the organization developed to investigate the Lockerbie air disaster. Circumstances surrounding other aircraft midair breakup crashes are also discussed.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Commercial aviation in the United States developed rapidly from a nucleus of pilots who returned from World War I, barnstormed and flew primitive airmail routes, and were hired by the new commercial airlines of the 1930s. The death of U.S. Senator Bronson Cutting in a 1935 crash was an important stimulus to improved governmental regulation of civil aviation. The air traffic control system, primitive until and throughout World War II, was soon proven to be inadequate for postwar demands. The midair collision of two large airliners over the Grand Canyon in June 1956 that killed the 128 persons on board was itself a strong stimulus for serious efforts, particularly in improving air traffic control systems. This and many other difficult problems in aviation safety have been addressed in the subsequent 33 years, some with success, although it has not always been immediate, and with major accidents still occurring. Commercial air travel is safe and widely accepted, however, and there is promise for additional important advances here.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

In an 11-year retrospective study of coroner's autopsies on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, it was found that an unusal and apparently unique subset of travelers died suddenly. Death was caused by coronary arteriosclerosis, was characterized by acute coronary changes, and occurred in a group younger than the usual age for sudden cardiac death.Visitors with two-vessel disease had an incidence of sudden death nearly four times that of Kauaians (p < 0.02), with a ninefold increase of coronary thrombosis (p < 0.001), a sixfold prevalence of old myocardial infarcts (p < 0.001). and three times the prevalence of cardiomegaly (p < 0.001). The circadian pattern of these deaths was different from that previously described in acute myocardial infarction or sudden death, with the number of incidents rising steadily through the day in contrast to the morning peak described in previously published series. The syndrome was expressed in decendents with two-vessel coronary disease either with acute coronary artery lesions—thrombosis, hemorrhage in a plaque, or ruptured coronary artery—or no lesions, presumably spasm. Underlying chronic processes included enlarged heart or old myocardial infarct, which both occurred with a significantly greater incidence in travelers than in local residents, and in a totally different pattern from that occurring in subjects with three-vessel disease. It is postulated that the syndrome is caused by stress related to travel and time zone changes.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The first legalized casino-hotel opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1978. Annually, more than 30 million people visit he “Gambling Capitol of the East Coast.” As a result of this growing influx of people, the Atlantic County Medical Examiner's Office began compiling statistics of 1982 of casino-related deaths. Data on 398 casino-related deaths occurring in 1982–1986 were collected and analyzed: 83% of the total number of fatalities were sudden cardiac deaths. Most of the victims were elderly white retired men who had previously diagnosed medical conditions. Many of the victims' underlying medical problems are of a type known to be associated with compulsive gambling. The majority of deaths occurred during the afternoon hours on weekends in October, January, and May. Of the victims, 86% were from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. For Atlantic City, a gambling community known to have a relatively high rate of crime and drug-trafficking, only 1% of all deaths were homicides. We speculate that the stress of gambling activities may induce sudden cardiac death. We therefore recommend that communities planning to legalize casino gambling mandate that gambling establishments provide emergency health care services for their patrons.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

In 1985, we began studying athletic fatalities in Marion County, Indiana (city of Indianapolis, population 779,966) U.S.A. We previously reported the data for calendar year 1985. The reviewed cases include all sudden, unexpected, or traumatic deaths of conditioned, competitive athletes in Marion County. This follow-up is a review of all athletic fatalities in Marion County that occurred from January 1986 through July 1988. All deaths during or immediately after athletic activity were reviewed, whether or not the participant was a conditioned athlete. Natural disease, especially heart disease without prior diagnosis, continues to be the most prevalent modality of death.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Three cases of acute myocardial infarction due to cocaine-related coronary artery disease are presented. Pathogenesis and autopsy findings are discussed.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A detailed, correlative, histologic evaluation of postmortem changes in the nasal mucosa of chronic cocaine users has shown characteristic mucosal and arteriolar changes as well as typical perivascular and subepithelial alterations compatible with chronic inflammation. These findings confirm and extend recent reports on the effects of cocaine in the coronary circulation and heart muscle as well as provide a new diagnostic tool to the forensic pathologist who suspects that a decedent has been a long-term cocaine abuser.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A total of 20 autopsy cases involving deaths due to penetrating cardiac injuries were analyzed pathologically: the causes of death of the victims who died before cardiorrhaphy were exsanguination or hemorrhagic shock in nine cases, pericardial tamponade in three, and a combination of the two in another three. Three of the remaining five cases of early postoperative death resulted from hemorrhagic shock, one resulted from pulmonary air embolism, and one resulted from a combination of hemorrhagic shock and coronary platelet embolism. We should pay more attention to air embolism and platelet embolism as causes of death of victims who have had penetrating cardiac injuries, whose exsanguinating hemorrhage and/or pericardial tamponade may be controlled by emergency-room thoracotomy and cardiorrhaphy.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A 69-year-old woman underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy because of a nonhealing ulcer of her foot. During decompression, she developed a left-sided hemiplegia and confusion. Recompression resulted in transient neurologic improvement, but she eventually became comatose. Ventricular dysrhythmias developed and she died without regaining consciousness 17 h after onset of symptoms. An autopsy revealed diffuse interstitial pulmonary fibrosis with severe paracicatricial emphysema, chronic interstitial inflammation, and chronic bronchitis with abundant intrabronchial mucus. There was extensive multifocal ischemic injury of the cerebral cortex. The hippocampi, basal ganglia, and cerebellum were spared. Scattered acute myofiber necrosis was present in the heart. Clinical presentation and autopsy findings strongly support the diagnosis of air embolism and illustrate a potential risk of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with preexisting pulmonary disease.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Drug packets are usually detected by ordinary abdominal radiographs, which is of major importance in the apprehension and prosecution of drug body packers, but false negatives may occur. We report the case of a cocaine body packer who had used the prograde route and in whom the initial abdominal plain films were normal. The diagnosis of cocaine body packing was assessed by seldom-described complementary methods of detection, including drug detection in the urine and contrast study of the bowel.

ISSN:0195-7910    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1990

数据来源: OVID