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The use of spit guards (also known as spit hoods) by police services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: to prevent transmission of infection or another form of restraint?
This study explored the extent to which police services deploy spit guards and the rationale underpinning their use. A mixed qualitative and quantitative approach was used to analyse data obtained from police services under the Freedom of Information Act. This study shows there is paucity of information readily available from police services in respect of quantifying the numbers of police officers who have contracted infectious disease as a result of spitting and/or bites, despite the fact that risk of infection and the need for subsequent prophylaxis is a driver of police services adopting the use of spit guard devices. C...
Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine - July 12, 2019 Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research

Sudden death of a preschool child diagnosed by postmortem examination
Publication date: Available online 10 July 2019Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal MedicineAuthor(s): Shuji Kozawa, Masayuki NataAbstractAn autopsy case of sudden death due to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a 5-year-old boy whose cause of death was not determined during autopsy, but was later determined by postmortem examination, is presented. The boy developed convulsions that subsequently stopped, but remained unconscious. He was transported to hospital by ambulance, but died soon after. The boy had been found to have right ventricular overload on ECG 2 weeks earlier. A plan had been made to consult a doctor ...
Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine - July 12, 2019 Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research

Privacy and data protection in the surveillance society: The case of the Prüm system
Publication date: Available online 10 July 2019Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal MedicineAuthor(s): Sara MatosAbstractThe simultaneous localisation and globalisation of ‘terrorist threats' and cross-border criminality have led to increased expansion of surveillance activities and greater cross-border police and judicial cooperation, placing a greater priority on these activities within the political agenda of the EU. In this scenario, the expansion of technological systems for surveillance and monitoring, and the large-scale exchange of citizens’ personal data play a pivotal role in the “fight against crime”. T...
Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine - July 12, 2019 Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research

Understanding rates of genital-anal injury: Role of skin color and skin biomechanics
ConclusionsOur findings provide qualified support for the importance of skin color during the forensic examination. Women with lighter skin tones may have skin that is more easily injured than women with darker tones. In contrast, external genital injuries may be more easily identified in women with light as compared to dark skin, a situation that is important in both the health care and criminal justice systems. Additionally, women with decreased viscoelasticity and increased hydration may be more easily injured. These findings support the need to develop forensic procedures that are effective in people across the range o...
Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine - July 10, 2019 Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research

Sudden Death during Hip Replacement Surgery: A Case Series
Publication date: Available online 8 July 2019Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal MedicineAuthor(s): Satya Dalavayi, Joseph A. PrahlowAbstractHip arthroplasty (hip replacement) surgery is a very common procedure and is particularly common in elderly individuals, where it is typically performed following traumatic hip fracture. As with any surgical procedure, hip arthroplasties are associated with a certain degree of morbidity and mortality, with many deaths occurring in the post-operative period. As most of these cases result from trauma (fractured hips), they are typically referred for medicolegal death investigation. O...
Source: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine - July 9, 2019 Category: Forensic Medicine Source Type: research