Drowning is one of the most common causes accidental death worldwide, but its diagnosis remains a challenging task in forensic pathology. Several authors have suggested that diatom analysis be conducted via an enzymatic digestion method that uses proteinase K to provide objective evidence for drowning; we employed this method in our study because of its superior applicability as compared to the conventional disorganization methods. The purpose of this study was to examine the reclaiming ratio of diatoms from experimentally drowned animal organs, which could be influenced by diatom morphology. The authors injected 3 diatoms species (Cyclotella striata, Navicula incerta, and Pleurosigma angulatum) into a rat's airway and compared the detection rate to investigate the factors that influence the sensitivity of diatom analysis. The results are as follows: (1) Average reclaiming ratio in the lungs was 81.07 for Navicula incerta, 48.26 for Cyclotella striata, and 5.35 for Pleurosigma angulatum. (2) The detection rates from the closed organs in 15 experimental animals were highest in the kidney (73%, 11/15), followed by the heart (67%, 10/15), brain (60%, 9/15), and liver (53%, 8/15). (3) Two Cyclotella striata was detected in the kidney of postmortem control group which suggest the possibility of contamination during laboratory procedure. In conclusion, the authors propose that diatom size could be a significant influencing factor for diatom extraction from the organs of drowned bodies; therefore, the results of diatom analysis must be interpreted after considering the diatom population of the drowning medium at the scene and the possibility of contamination during the laboratory procedure.
Animal Structures ; Animals ; Brain ; Diatoms ; Digestion ; Drowning ; Endopeptidase K ; Forensic Pathology ; Heart ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung

This study was undertaken to observe the effect of the preirradiation of UVA on the eryt,hematous reaction by UVB. Twenty-five healthy Korean adult male volunteers were taken as subjects. The results were as follows: 1)Preirradiation of 10J/cm and 20j/cm of UVA had no influence on the erythematous reaction induced by UVB. Preirradiation of 30 J/cm of UVA decreased the minimal erythemal dose(MED) of UVB significantly (p<0,05), and 4pJ/cm of UVA dicl very significantly(p<0. 001). 2) Preirradiation dose of UVA(x) and MED of UVB(y) had statistically significant relationship (y=33. 23 - 33 x, r= -0.39, p<0. 05). So preirradiation of UVA decreased MED of UVR in relation with the preirradiation dose. 3) For the objective criteria of skin erythematous reaction induced by the UV irradiation, MED was considered more accurate and efficient than minimal perceptible dose (MPI).
Adult ; Erythema* ; Humans ; Male ; Skin ; Volunteers

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate the problems of pre-hospital Emergency medical care system (EMS) in workplace. We analysed 25 fatal work-place injuries during the recent 4 years and the work-place EMS of 8 enterprises located in Masan-city, Changwon-city and Kuje-island. METHODS: The safety managers and the members of Dept. of safety in the labor unions were interviewed about the work-place EMS. And we investigated on the injury reports, the work-place medical-room records and the medical records of emergency center for fatal 25 cases. RESULTS: The enterprises had the at-risk machines and processes, volatile materials and high-altitude working processes. There were duty doctors in only 3 enterprises but a few duty nurses or health-care providers in the others. The time spent for the education to the workers on safety was 24hrs/yr in 3 enterprises in 1998 but less than Bhrs in the others. There were medical service center in all enterprises but the ambulances in three. The time for activation of the ambulance was ranging from 5 minutes to 10 minutes in 6 enterprises, and from 10 minutes to 30 minutes in two. The patient transportation to the emergency center was possible within 30 minutes in all enterprises but there were no equipments for airway maintenance and shock management in all enterprises. The 15 (60%) fatal injuries were occurred at one enterprise. The 64% of casualties had the duration of job-employment more than 10yrs and the 68% were suffered the typical type of work-place injury as descending injuries, collisions and falls. Most of all primary calls for rescue were concentrated on the fire-service agencies. But in 85% of fatal injtories, the tome for the activation of ambulance was more than 10 minutes and no emergency care was taken in the field in 48 percent of casualtles. The transportation time to the emergency center was more than 30 minutes in 50 percent. It toolk from injury to death was less than one hour in the 40 percent of all cases, and from one hour to four in the 50 percent. The causes of death in the 68 percent were the head-and-neck injuries or thoracic injuries. CONCLUSIONS: We found that there was Insufficiency of the education associated with work-place injury for workers, manpower and facilities, equipments related to the work-place EMS, the problems of the delay in transportation system.
Ambulances ; Cause of Death ; Education ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services* ; Humans ; Labor Unions ; Medical Records ; Shock ; Thoracic Injuries ; Transportation

No abstract available.
Mesenteric Artery, Superior*

No abstract available.
Facial Paralysis* ; Fascia Lata* ; Fascia*

Death by drowning is a major cause of unnatural death worldwide. It is therefore important to conduct forensic examination of immersed bodies following drowning, in order to determine the diagnosis of drowning, because no specific methods have been established thus far. Therefore, we performed a series of rat experiments to compare autopsy findings between seawater and fresh water drowning cases, which included the presence of pleural effusion and histologic findings of the lung. The results showed that the volume of pleural effusion increased in the seawater drowning group compared to the fresh water drowning group, and the total weight of lung was affected by the type of drowning medium and postmortem interval. However, histologic findings of the lung showed no significant difference between the 2 types of drowning mediums.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Drowning ; Fresh Water ; Lung ; Pleural Effusion ; Rats ; Seawater

Drowning is a leading cause of accidental deaths worldwide, but its pathological diagnosis remains a challenge for forensic pathologists owing to a lack of pathognomonic findings in drowning deaths and inconclusive autopsy findings caused by postmortem changes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathway taken by inhaled drowning medium through the airway after death in a variety of experimental conditions, including underwater pressurization. We used methylene blue dye to monitor the spread of drowning medium to the lungs. Results of theses experiments demonstrated that it is possible for a significant amount of downing medium to enter the airway during immersion after death. Our results suggest that autopsies of immersed bodies and interpretation of these findings should be performed with special care.
Animal Experimentation* ; Animals* ; Autopsy ; Diagnosis ; Drowning* ; Immersion ; Inhalation* ; Lung ; Methylene Blue* ; Postmortem Changes

Tinea pedis is frequently found in people with poor personal hygiene and in hot, humid environments. The authors investigated the clinical, epidemiological, and mycological characteristics of tinea pedis in 170 garbage workers(166 males and 4 females) employed in a garbage plant in Seoul, Korea. 40 were clerical workers and 130 were field workers. Tinea pedis was found in 134 with a prevalence rate of 78.8%. Of those 134, 61(45.5%) also had onychomycosis. The prevalence of tinea pedis increased with age and the period working in garbage plant. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of tinea pedis between clerical workers and field workers, mitigating against the conclusion that their tinea pedis may be of occupational origin. Clinically tinea pedis was classified into 4 types ; interdigital (41.8%), vesicular(23.1%), dry squamous(22.4%), and mixed(12.7%). KOH smear positivity and culture positivity was related to clinical types of the lesion the lowest in the interdigital type. In the interdigital type, the etiology of nonmycotic lesions could not be identified. Negative fungal cultures could have been due to secondary bacterial infections. 63 strains of dermatophytes were isolated; 54 strains of Trichophyton rubrem(85.7%), 8 strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes(12.7%) and 1 mixed infection of T. rubrum and T. mentagrophytes. T. mentagrophytes was isolated only from the vesicular lesions. 8 strains of yeast forms, positive in KOH smears and yielding pure colonies, were also isolated, and repeated mycologic examination yielded the same results. Among them, at least 4 cases of Trichosporon beigelii, and 1 case of Candida parapsilosis were considered to be of pathogenic significance.
Arthrodermataceae ; Bacterial Infections ; Candida ; Coinfection ; Garbage* ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Korea ; Male ; Onychomycosis ; Plants ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Tinea Pedis* ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton ; Trichosporon ; Yeasts

No abstract available.
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyse clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in childhood patients with polyarticularonset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). METHODS: Eleven cases of polyarticular JRA who were diagnosed and treated in the Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Children's Hospital from June 1988 to May 1995 were investigated for clinical manifestations and laboratory findings. RESULTS: 1) There were 6 males and 5 females and their ages of onset were 4 years to 15.1 years(mean 10.9 years). 2) Systemic manifestations were not observed, but low-grade fever was noted in 5 patients. 3) The involvement of joints was symmetric in 9 patients and asymmetric in 2 patients. 4) The most commonly affected joints were knees and ankles, followed by proximal interphalangeal joints of hand, shoulder, elbow, temporomandibular joint, and other joints. 5) Roentgenographic changes of joints were detected in 6 patients and bone scan in 7 patients showed increased uptake in the involved joints. 6) The main laboratory findings observed were microcytic and hypochromic anemia (64%), thrombocytosis (82%), elevated eryhtrocyte sedimentation rate (100%), positive or increased C-reactive protein(100%), positive rheumatoid factor(RF) (18%), positive antinuclear antibody(ANA) (27%). RF was positive in 2 girls with later age of onset and the pattern of immunofluorescent ANA were all homogeneous. 7) Nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were used most frequently and steroid with or without sulfasalazine was tried in 4 patients unresponsive to NSAIDs. 8) At last follow-up, 6 cases(55%) were classified as functional class I, 4 cases(36%) as class II, and 1 case(9%) as class III. CONCLUSION: These data showed the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of polyarticularonset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in Korean children.
Age of Onset ; Anemia, Hypochromic ; Ankle ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Arthritis, Juvenile* ; Child ; Elbow ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Seoul ; Shoulder ; Sulfasalazine ; Temporomandibular Joint ; Thrombocytosis