Research Article
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Evaluation of medicolegal death cases sent from abroad to Denizli province

Year 2024, Volume: 17 Issue: 1, 71 - 76, 01.01.2024
https://doi.org/10.31362/patd.1359814

Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to contribute to the literature by discussing the difficulties encountered in the approach to suspicious death cases reported abroad and sent to our country.
Materials and methods: The findings were obtained by retrospectively reviewing all medico-legal death cases sent from abroad to Denizli province between January 2012 and December 2022, in which postmortem examination and autopsy were performed.
Results: Of the 12 cases included in the study, 3 were female and 9 were male, the youngest case was 2 years old and the oldest case was 66 (median 49) years old. Germany was the country with the highest number of suspicious deaths with nine cases (75%), while one case each was sent from Turkmenistan, the Netherlands
and Austria. When the cases were evaluated in terms of origin, it was observed that 5 (41%) cases were of natural origin followed by 4 (33%) cases of suicide origin.
Conclusion: In order to minimize the problems encountered in the re-evaluation of medico-legal death cases from abroad, we think that it would be appropriate for all countries to perform medico-legal autopsy in accordance with international standards for suspicious death cases sent abroad, and to share the report containing the
autopsy findings and all documents that may help to clarify the cause of death of the person with the forensic medicine experts in the country of destination.

References

  • 1. Nithin MD, Rani S. Autopsies on foreign nationals – Practical problems and solutions. Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences 2016;6:26-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejfs.2015.01.005
  • 2. Green MA. Sudden and suspicious deaths outside the deceased’s own country - Time for an international protocol. Forensic Science International 1982;20:71-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/0379-0738(82)90108-6
  • 3. Recommendation no. R (99) 3 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the harmonization of medico-legal autopsy rules. Forensic Sci Int 2000;111:5-58.
  • 4. United Nations. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death 2016: The Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. UN; 2018. https://doi.org/10.18356/0389ae17-en
  • 5. Brinkmann B. Harmonization of medico-legal autopsy rules. Committee of Ministers. Council of Europe. Int J Legal Med 1999;113:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050271
  • 6. Turkish Citizens Living Abroad / Rep. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Available at: https://www.mfa.gov.tr/yurtdisinda-yasayan-turkler_.tr.mfa. Accessed March 30, 2023
  • 7. Williams EJ, Davison A. Autopsy findings in bodies repatriated to the UK. Medicine, Science and the Law 2014;54:139-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0025802413499325
  • 8. Boukis D. Repeat autopsies on corpses from abroad. A futile effort? Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1986;7:216-218.
  • 9. Holz F, Saulich MF, Schröder AS, Birngruber CG, Verhoff MA, Plenzig S. Death abroad: medico-legal autopsy results of repatriated corpses: a retrospective analysis of cases at the Department of Legal Medicine in Frankfurt am Main. For Sci Int 2020;310:110257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110257
  • 10. Grellner W, Glenewinkel F, Madea B. Reasons, circumstances and results of repeat forensic medicine autopsy. Arch Kriminol 1998;202:173-178.
  • 11. Erbaş M, Balcı Y. Re-autopsy: dealing with almost impossibility? The Bulletin of Legal Medicine. 2020;25:244-249. https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.1299
  • 12. Witte P, Sperhake JP, Püschel K, Holz F, Ondruschka B, Schröder AS. Zum Umgang mit im Ausland verstorbenen deutschen Staatsbürgern: Vorstellung und Bewertung des Verfahrens in Hamburg. Rechtsmedizin. 2021;1-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-021-00513-5

Yurt dışından Denizli iline gönderilen medikolegal ölüm olgularının değerlendirilmesi

Year 2024, Volume: 17 Issue: 1, 71 - 76, 01.01.2024
https://doi.org/10.31362/patd.1359814

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, yurt dışında şüpheli ölüm olarak bildirilen ve ülkemize gönderilen şüpheli ölüm olgularına yaklaşımda karşılaşılan zorluklar bulgularımızla tartışılarak literatüre katkıda bulunulması amaçlanmıştır.
Gereç ve yöntem: Bulgular Ocak 2012-Aralık 2022 yılları arasında yurt dışından Denizli iline gönderilen, ölü muayene ve otopsisi yapılan tüm medikolegal ölüm olguları retrospektif olarak taranarak elde edilmiştir.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan 12 olgunun 3’ü kadın, 9’u erkek, en genç olgu 2 yaşında, en yaşlı olgu ise 66 (medyan 49) yaşındadır. Dokuz (%75) olgu ile en fazla şüpheli ölüm olgusu gönderen ülke Almanya olurken, Türkmenistan, Hollanda ve Avusturya’dan birer olgu gönderilmiştir. Olgular orijin yönünden değerlendirildiğinde, doğal orjinli 5 (%41) olguyu, intihar orjinli 4 (%33) olgunun takip ettiği görülmektedir.
Sonuç: Yurt dışından gelen medikolegal ölüm olgularını yeniden değerlendirmede karşımıza çıkan sorunları en aza indirebilmek için tüm ülkeler tarafından yurt dışına gönderilen şüpheli ölüm olgularına uluslararası standartlar dahilinde medikolegal otopsi yapılması, yapılan otopsi bulgularını içeren raporun ve kişinin ölüm sebebini aydınlatmaya yardımcı olabilecek tüm belgelerin gittiği ülkedeki adli tıp uzmanları ile paylaşılmasının uygun olacağı düşüncesindeyiz.

References

  • 1. Nithin MD, Rani S. Autopsies on foreign nationals – Practical problems and solutions. Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences 2016;6:26-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejfs.2015.01.005
  • 2. Green MA. Sudden and suspicious deaths outside the deceased’s own country - Time for an international protocol. Forensic Science International 1982;20:71-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/0379-0738(82)90108-6
  • 3. Recommendation no. R (99) 3 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the harmonization of medico-legal autopsy rules. Forensic Sci Int 2000;111:5-58.
  • 4. United Nations. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death 2016: The Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions. UN; 2018. https://doi.org/10.18356/0389ae17-en
  • 5. Brinkmann B. Harmonization of medico-legal autopsy rules. Committee of Ministers. Council of Europe. Int J Legal Med 1999;113:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050271
  • 6. Turkish Citizens Living Abroad / Rep. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Available at: https://www.mfa.gov.tr/yurtdisinda-yasayan-turkler_.tr.mfa. Accessed March 30, 2023
  • 7. Williams EJ, Davison A. Autopsy findings in bodies repatriated to the UK. Medicine, Science and the Law 2014;54:139-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0025802413499325
  • 8. Boukis D. Repeat autopsies on corpses from abroad. A futile effort? Am J Forensic Med Pathol 1986;7:216-218.
  • 9. Holz F, Saulich MF, Schröder AS, Birngruber CG, Verhoff MA, Plenzig S. Death abroad: medico-legal autopsy results of repatriated corpses: a retrospective analysis of cases at the Department of Legal Medicine in Frankfurt am Main. For Sci Int 2020;310:110257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2020.110257
  • 10. Grellner W, Glenewinkel F, Madea B. Reasons, circumstances and results of repeat forensic medicine autopsy. Arch Kriminol 1998;202:173-178.
  • 11. Erbaş M, Balcı Y. Re-autopsy: dealing with almost impossibility? The Bulletin of Legal Medicine. 2020;25:244-249. https://doi.org/10.17986/blm.1299
  • 12. Witte P, Sperhake JP, Püschel K, Holz F, Ondruschka B, Schröder AS. Zum Umgang mit im Ausland verstorbenen deutschen Staatsbürgern: Vorstellung und Bewertung des Verfahrens in Hamburg. Rechtsmedizin. 2021;1-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00194-021-00513-5
There are 12 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Forensic Medicine
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Kemalettin Acar 0000-0002-0200-4764

Ayşe Kurtuluş Dereli 0000-0002-0592-585X

Kamuran Aksoy 0009-0003-3165-9158

Abdülkadir İzci 0000-0002-7831-1592

Early Pub Date November 27, 2023
Publication Date January 1, 2024
Submission Date September 13, 2023
Acceptance Date November 21, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2024 Volume: 17 Issue: 1

Cite

AMA Acar K, Kurtuluş Dereli A, Aksoy K, İzci A. Evaluation of medicolegal death cases sent from abroad to Denizli province. Pam Med J. January 2024;17(1):71-76. doi:10.31362/patd.1359814

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