Deaths Due to Electrocution:An Evaluation of Death Scene Investigations and Autopsy Findings

The purpose of the study was to delineate the epidemiological characteristics of electrocution deaths in Maryland,identify any potential risks,and address preventive measures.A retrospective review of all the deaths due to electrocution was conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in the State of Maryland from 2005 to 2015.During the 11-year period,a total of 55 electrocution deaths were identified from the autopsy cases at the statewide medical examiner system.More males died of electrocution than females with its ratio of(M:F)=9:l.Of the 55 cases,67.3%were White,18.2%were African-American,12.7%were Hispanic,and 1.8%were other races.The age of the victims ranged from 4 to 83 years with mean age of 40 years.>96%deaths due to accidents and 3.4%were suicide.The majority of deaths(70.9%)were caused by high-voltage circuits.Approximately 64%of fatalities were work-related accidents.The study indicated that electrocution deaths frequently affected young male workers who were in contact with a high-voltage currents while on the job.The detailed death scene investiRation and autopsy findings are presented.The potential hazards of electricity must continue to be addressed in public safety campaigns to prevent such deaths.Strategies should ensure safe work environments for any contact with electric currents.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Adolescent Suicide Deaths in the State of Maryland

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) a worldwide pandemic. As of December 2021, there have been over 278 million cases and 5.4 million deaths reported. One area of concern regarding the pandemic was its potential impact on mental health, and it was feared that the onset of such a devastating pandemic would lead to increased suicide risks among the general population. With suicide being a leading cause of death in adolescents, it is important to assess the potential mental health consequences that the COVID-19 pandemic may impose. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on suicide deaths among adolescents in the state of Maryland from 2019 to 2021. Subjects and Methods: This was a retrospective study of adolescent suicide victims, aged 10-19 years, from January 2019 to December 2021 in the state of Maryland. De-identified data were collected from the statewide medical examiner’s office which is responsible for the medicolegal death investigation in Maryland. Results: A total of 102 adolescent suicide deaths were investigated statewide by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner during these 3 years. The number of adolescent suicide cases stayed relatively stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with slightly more cases during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (2019: n = 37;2020: n = 31;and 2022: n = 34). Looking at months of incidence, less cases were reported in March-May 2020 (n = 5), which marks the beginning of the pandemic when compared to the same period in 2019 (n = 13). The number was higher for August-November 2020 (n = 15) than for that of 2019 (n = 8) and 2021 (n = 8). The male-to-female suicide ratio was 3.7:1 (n = 80/22). However, the data exhibited a significant increase in the number of female adolescent suicides, from 8.11% in 2019 (n = 3) to 25.81% in 2020 (n = 8) and 32.35% in 2021 (n = 11). Of the cases examined, more than 50% were white and approximately 27% were African-Americans. The two leading causes of death were hanging (47%) and firearm injuries (29%). Maryland consists of 23 countries and Baltimore City. The majority of adolescent suicides occurred in county residents with only 8.8% of cases in Baltimore City.

Suicide Deaths in China:An Analysis of Forensic Cases

Suicide cases are often encountered during death investigations in forensic medicine.In this study,through a comparative analysis of our own data of 98 suicide cases and previous reports from various forensic institutions in China,we analyzed the risk factors of Chinese suicides and explored the implications thereof from a forensic point of view.Moreover,the age and sex differences,means,causes,and other concerns regarding suicide are discussed along with a review of the literature.

Contributions of forensic anthropology to positive scientific identification:a critical Review

This review covers previous and current literature on the impact of forensic anthropologists on the positive scientific identification of human remains and aims to provide an under-standing of what information a forensic anthropologist can contribute to an investigation. Forensic anthropologists looking to identify human remains study traits of the skeleton and any orthopedic devices present. In order to obtain a positive scientific identification, evi-dence that is both sufficiently unique to the individual and comparable to available ante-mortem data from that individual must be found. The increased availability of radiographs, scans and implants in recent decades has facilitated the identification process. When these records are unavailable, other techniques, such as craniofacial superimposition and facial approximation, can be employed. While these methods may assist the identification process, they are most useful for exclusion of certain individuals and gathering leads from the public. Forensic anthropologists have heavily relied on the skull and its complexities for identifica-tion – typically focusing on the frontal sinus and other unique traits. Post-cranial remains can provide important information about bone density, possible disease and other character-istics that may also be utilized. Techniques used to positively identify individuals are not limited to medicolegal death investigations, and have been useful in other legal contexts. In the future, a team approach, utilizing all the information gathered by multiple forensic scientists–including forensic anthropologists–will most likely become more common.