Obwohl das Verkehrsaufkommen der Fahrradfahrer in den letzten Jahren kontinuierlich zunimmt, ist die alkoholbedingte Verkehrsdelinquenz von Fahrradfahrern vergleichsweise wenig untersucht. Deswegen wurden die Unterlagen unserer Alkoholuntersuchungsstelle aus dem Fuenfjahreszeitraum 1986-1990 retrospektiv in Bezug auf die Beteiligung von Fahrradfahrern ausgewertet. Das Untersuchungsgut umfasste 1.448 Blutproben. Das Probenaufkommen stieg 1990 gegenueber 1986 um 2,6 Prozent auf 4,8 Prozent an. Der Frauenanteil lag bei 6,5 Prozent. 36,8 Prozent der untersuchten Radfahrer waren unter 30 Jahren. Die Proben wurden bevorzugt in den Sommermonaten, an Wochenenden und in den Nachtstunden gezogen. Bei 67,3 Prozent lag die Blutalkoholkonzentration (BAK) oberhalb des gesetzlichen Grenzwertes der alkoholbedingten absoluten Fahrtuechtigkeit beim Radfahrer von 1,7 Promille. Im Vergleich dazu wurden bei der aerztlichen Untersuchung lediglich 34,5 Prozent als stark oder sehr stark alkoholisiert beurteilt. In der Gruppe mit einer BAK von ueber 2,5 Promille wurden 37,7 Prozent als nur leicht oder maessig alkoholisiert eingestuft, so dass sich der Verdacht auf eine massgebliche Alkoholgewoehnung ergibt. (KfV/H)
Die Verlaesslichkeit eines, auf der Alkoholdehydrogenasereaktion basierenden Speichel-Streifentests zur Feststellung der Blutalkoholkonzentration wird untersucht. Speichelfluessigkeit sowie bei Obduktionen auch Harn und Liquor werden zur Bestimmung herangezogen. Falsch-negative Werte wurden nicht beobachtet, es zeigen sich jedoch Probleme bei der Zuordnung der Farbreaktionen zu der vorgegebenen Skala. Als Einsatzmoeglichkeiten kommen Leichenoeffnungen sowie klinische Anwendungen (Rettungsdienst) in Frage, bei denen jeweils rasch ein verlaessliches, halbquantitatives Ergebnis gefragt ist. (A)
Die Eigenschaften und das Vorkommen von Verbund-Sicherheitsglas (VSG) und Einscheibensicherheitsglas (ESG) in Kraftfahrzeugen werden kurz beschrieben. Soweit Verletzungen an Rumpf und Gliedmassen entstehen, sind sie selten lebensgefaehrlich. An Kopf und Hals koennen leichte bis toedliche Verletzungen eintreten. Besonders folgenschwer sind die zur Erblindung fuehrenden ESG-Gesichtsverletzungen. Die Pruefung der Schaeden am Fahrzeug zeigt nicht nur, ob eine isolierte Bruchspinne vorliegt - durch die regelmaessig Verletzungen ohne Verlust der Handlungsfaehigkeit auftreten - oder ob die Scheibe zusammen mit ihrer Umrandung vom Kopf getroffen wurde. Dann sind toedliche Verletzungen moeglich. Ueber Unfaelle mit VSG- und ESG-Verletzungen wird berichtet. Zusaetzlich wird ueber 9 simulierte Schraegkollisionen bei 35 bis 45 Grad mit postmortalen Testobjekten (PMTO) berichtet. Der Kopf des PMTO prallte waehrend der primaeren Phase gegen die Fensterscheibe, die aus ESG beziehungsweise VSG oder Sonderanfertigung bestand. Je nach Kollionsschwere, Scheibenart und Scheibenbeschaedigung durch Kopfanprall kam es zu leichten bis massiven Gesichtsschnittverletzungen. Wichtige Fragen bei der Rekonstruktion von Unfaellen, bei der Bewertung von Unfallfolgen und bei der Neukonstruktion von Fahrzeugen mit besserem aeusserem und innerem Personenschutz koennen beantwortet werden, falls die Erfahrungen aus der praktischen und experimentellen Unfallforschung Beachtung finden. (A)
Die vorliegende Studie basiert auf 436 Faellen aus dem Raum Wien und Umgebung, bei denen zu einer Atemalkoholbestimmung zusaetzlich eine Blutalkoholanalyse durchgefuehrt wurde. Untersucht wurden die Zeitspannen zwischen rechtsrelevantem Ereignis und erfolgtem Atemalkoholtest beziehungsweise Blutprobenentnahme. Vielfach wurde die Atemalkoholmessung erst bis zu einer Stunde spaeter durchgefuehrt, daher wurde fallweise eine Rueckrechnung notwendig. Untersucht wurde weiters die Korrelation zwischen Atemalkohol- und Blutalkoholwerten in 49 Faellen mit einer maximalen Zeitspanne von 15 Minuten zwischen den Messungen. Weit ueber ein Drittel lag ausserhalb eines plus/minus zehnprozentigen Vertrauensintervalls, eine betraechtliche Zahl ausserhalb eines plus/minus zwanzigprozentigen Vertrauensintervalls. (KfV/G)
The report initially discuss the properties and application of tempered glass (TG) and laminated glass (LG) in motor vehicles. Although the trunk and extremities are injured these injuries are seldom life threatening. In contrast, head or neck injuries present a greater threat to life. Especially serious are TG injuries resulting in blindness. The resultant vehicle damage can appear not only as isolated glass cracking, which occurs regularly accompanying injuries without loss of consciousness, but as deformation of the vehicle interior adjacent to the windscreen. In the cases where more solid structures are impacted fatal injuries are possible. This report presents detail both of some real accident investigations and of 9 simulated oblique collisions using 9 post mortem human subjects (PMHS's). In these 9 simulations the head impacted during the primary impact phase against side windows constructed from TG. A modified tempered glass construction (two plates sandwiching a 3 mm air layer) was also tested. Impact angles were 35 to 45 degrees. The severity of facial laceration was dependent on collision severity, type of glass and glass damage resulting from head impact. Minor or severe cutting injuries of the face were caused. Only through the investigation of real accidents and accident simulations can occupant safety be improved.
Mass-disasters with high numbers of victims are a real challenge to the specialists. The role of forensic experts is generally emphasized. The missions of the Leipzig Taskgroup for identification and the experience gained during them confirm, that special training necessary staff members is. Compared with the general signs of identity, like clothing, jewelry and accessories, scars etc., the marks of ears and observations of forensic odonto-stomatology provide good chances for identification. For forensic odonto-stomatology, we developed computer programs.
The authors report the analysis of mass disasters, which had been dealt with by forensic experts, on the territory of the former GDR. The report comes on the initiative of the Society of Forensic Medicine and with the support of regional institutes. For the period 1960 to 1989, 20 events with 738 casualties were registered. The number of victims was particularly high in aviation and rail disasters as well as in the Zwickau mine disaster. The Forensic Institute of the Humboldt-University in Berlin was engaged in the investigation of the three airplane crashes on Berlin territory and near Berlin (Königs-Wusterhausen 1972, Berlin-Bohnsdorf 1986 and Berlin-Schönefeld 1989) as well as of the railway disaster near Lebus in 1977. As a result of the analysis, the experience gained in three decades regarding the planning, organization and realization of the identification of victims is dealt with in more detail. It emphasizes the significance of close cooperation with dentists and criminalists. Because of ethical, legal and criminalistic reasons the aim should always be a complete examination (including autopsy) of the victims as well as their identification.
Macro- and micromorphological findings in cases of death from hypothermia are very questionable and unreliable diagnostical signs. We investigated 42 cases of death from hypothermia that occurred in mountain-ranges between 1974 and 1990. All cases showed erosions of the gastric mucosa ("Wischnewsky-spots"), in one case only we found bleedings in the ileopsoas muscles. In most cases hypothermia was based on natural disease or intoxication. Nine alcoholized persons showed a mean alcohol concentration in the blood of 1.07% and in accordance to a relatively long agonal period the alcohol concentration in urine was considerably higher.
At necropsy of fatal cases due to craniocerebral trauma it is highly recommended that the intraosseous course of the internal carotid arteries are dissected, as detected injuries of these vessels may allow improved conclusions concerning the course of death. Suitable preparation techniques are presented. On the basis of the anatomical and physiological situation as well as pathophysiological considerations the acute lethal outcome of traumatic rupture of the intraosseous part of these arteries is not to be interpreted as death by hemorrhagic/hypovolemic shock but rather as lethal cerebral hypoxia subsequent to a rapidly developing insufficiency of the brain circulation.
The size relation between the bullet calibre and the minimum diameter of the entrance hole in extracranial bones of predominantly spongy structure was systematically investigated. Test shots (cartridges .22 lr, 7.65 mm Brown. and 9 mm Parabellum) on bone specimens covered with soft tissue (coxal end of the femoral bone, ala ossis ilii, corpus sterni) showed the following results: The entrance holes in bone produced by solid-lead projectiles of calibre .22 showed a tendency towards larger diameters compared with the bullet (deviations at the proximal femur up to about 20%); full-jacketed bullets of calibre 7.65 mm and 9 mm mostly produced entrance holes which were smaller than the cross-section of the projectile (deviations at the sternum and os ilium up to about 12%). For perpendicular hits it was possible within one test-firing region to assign the minimum diameters of entry to one of the three calibres without any overlapping in the borderline area. The measurement results classified according to calibre and area of entry are indicated in diagrams.
A questionnaire was sent to 138 institutes of Forensic Medicine in 18 countries of Western Europe to obtain information concerning bodypackers, who had died between 1980 and 1990. The total number of dead was 17 (4 own cases). 8 cases were reported from the Federal Republic of Germany, 4 from Italy, 2 from Great Britain and 1 from Austria, Spain and Norway each. In 15 cases some circumstances were told. Most of the bodypackers had transported heroin (10), in 2 cases cocaine and amphetamine were found and in 1 case marihuana inside of stomach and bowel. The related risk seems to be low in comparison to police authorities presuming that about 80% of drug-couriers move the stuff inside their body to and fro.
The predominating hydrophilic physiological body constituents are not interfering severely during the toxicological analysis for organic poisons in biological matrices, whereas coextracted lipids are usually well distinguishable from xenobiotics. But interfering substances increase strongly with autolysis, and some of them behave like toxicologically relevant compounds to be detected by the respective analytical methods. Attempts are reaching from the STAS' isolation procedure through the ptomaines to our chromatographical epoche, to phenomenologically compensate the matrix effects--increasing in the course of putrefaction--by the determination and generalisation of according analytical signals. The paper outlines on the background of Systematic Toxicological Analysis how far a systematic thanatochemical concept should be considered more closely for the futural more effective analytical elimination of such matrix effects.
"Weapons at hand" are tools of everyday life, which can be used as instruments for fighting. The investigation offers a survey concerning instruments, which were actually used for conflicting bodily injuries (cases selected from 1029 expertises) or for killing (cases selected from 474 autopsies). The findings are complemented by non-medical publications about self-defence. In the Austrian legal system the use of "weapons at hand" is interpreted like weapons in the technical sense.
To support police in reenacting criminal acts is one of the most important functions of forensic investigation. This case report deals with the discovery of the corpse of a 42-year old man at the bank of the river Inn. First of all the man was supposed to be drowned, but the autopsy showed a gunshot wound of the neck and a shot-through of the brain-stem. Intensive search for the weapon by the police and by divers was unsuccessful and therefore suspicion of homicide arose. The reconstruction of the act at the site of discovery of the corpse led to the discovery of the weapon and the case became clear to be a suicide.
Autopsy of a baby suspicious to SIDS. Most interesting postmortem finding was a congenital malformation of the great vessels, a truncus arteriosus communis typus van Praagh A I. That one is very rare with a clinically frequency of only 1.7%. The malformation was not cause of death and was statistically survived for 2 months. The baby died of aspiration resultant from an incarcerated inguinal hernia.
Pieces of animal and human lungs were placed in seawater. The fluids pressed of it produced in X-ray fluorescence analysis bromine concentrations, which exceeded the physiological level. These experiments created the supposition to interpret correctly relevant findings in the victims of flight accidents.
A married woman was found dead with indications of suicide by electricity (household-voltage). On coroner's inquest (typical electric lesions at the wrist) and the result of police investigation, there was no indication of third party involvement. The cadaver war firstly released to burial, but on account of indication of conflicts between the married couple, a forensic autopsy was arranged. The most important pathological finding was a fresh puncture between L3/L4. On toxicological investigation, toxic concentrations of the local anaesthetic prilocaine were found in liquor and organs. Cause of death was central respiratory- and circulatory depression. The husband, an anaesthesist, blamed he was assisting the suicide of his wife at her request. He was found guilty by reasons of manslaughter but not for murder.
The documents of 154 drug victims dissected in the Centre of Legal Medicine of the University of Frankfurt am Main in 1987 and 1988 were examined by computer. The average age i.e. was 26 years, the share of women 23 per cent. In 47 per cent the main cause of death was an overdoses of heroin and in 48 per cent heroin was the first drug that was taken. 58 per cent of the drug victims came from totally intact families.
The 12,000 obductions at the Institute for Forensic Medicine of the University of Hamburg from 1981 to 1990 included 30 cases of strangulation in children up to the age of 14 years (16 females, 14 males). 7 of these cases had been accidents (during infancy), 18 children had been murdered (all age groups), 4 children (elder ones) had committed suicide. In one case it could not be decided whether the reason of death had been suicide or an accident. Summarized data concerning epidemiological, phenomenological and morphological aspects are presented. Two case histories give some hints to special aspects of accidental strangulation and homicide among children.
A 70-year-old pedestrian was hit by a passenger car, when she crossed a road outside built-up areas; at the time of the collision the car drove at a speed of about 100 km/h and did not brake. In this lateral accident the trunk of the pedestrian was completely severed near the upper brim of the pelvis. The upper part of the body was flown into the interior of the car through the windscreen; the lower half of the body was found between the place of collision and the place, where the car came to a standstill. The body was not severed at the front edge of the roof, but in the region of the front edge of the engine hood. The abdominal skin and the inguinal region were marked by numerous transverse distension tears; these were indirect injuries of the collision caused by tensile strain due to inertia.
