Introduction Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a well-known complication in diabetic patients, especially those who rely on insulin to maintain physiologic blood glucose levels, and allow for normal cellular uptake of glucose. While an uncommon cerebrovascular complication of DKA, there have been reported cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) occurring in episodes of DKA. DKA is more prevalent in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, particularly in younger patients under the age of 50. Methods A medicolegal autopsy was performed on a 19-year-old woman with a history of type 1 diabetes mellitus as well as prior episodes of DKA, who was found unresponsive in bed and did not survive resuscitation. Results The cause of death was found to be DKA on a background of elevated vitreous glucose and post-mortem serum β-hydroxybutyrate. Additionally, a mild recent SAH was found on post-mortem internal examination. Two aneurysms were identified in both the right ascending communicating artery (RACA) and right middle cerebral artery, and the SAH was found to originate from the RACA. There were other findings supportive of DKA, such as gastric erosions, pale kidney cortices, and fatty changes in the liver. Discussion DKA is a fatal complication of untreated diabetes mellitus, and the risk of mortality and morbidity increases with subsequent episodes. Diabetes can also predispose an individual to vasculopathies such as aneurysm formation, and subsequent SAH may be identified on post-mortem exam. While the SAH may not be the immediate cause of death, it is a rare finding in post-mortem examination of diabetic decedents, and the risk of aneurysm rupture may be the result of derangements such as increased intracranial pressure during DKA.
Introduction Stature is an individual's natural height in an upright standing position. This anthropometric measurement is important for determining an individual's physical identity. Objectives To estimate stature from the index, middle, and ring fingers’ length in Misrake Ghion College students. Methods A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted among Misrake Ghion College students from December 20, 2021, to March 15, 2022. The study included 316 participants (160 males and 156 females) aged 18 to 25 years from the Amhara ethnic group. Stature and finger length were measured using a stadiometer and a nonelastic measuring tape, respectively. Data were entered into EPIData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. The strength of the relationship was examined using correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at P < .05. A paired sample t -test was conducted, and simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to formulate equations. Results Stature had a significant positive correlation with the lengths of the index, middle, and ring fingers in both males and females. Combined, stature showed a strong correlation with the left middle finger ( r = 0.739), followed by the right ring finger ( r = 0.692). Stepwise regression analysis showed strong correlations with the left middle finger in males ( r = 0.636) and females ( r = 0.648). Simple and multiple regression equations were developed for each gender. Conclusion This study concluded that the length of the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger can be used to estimate the stature of an Ethiopian individual in the field of forensic science and related medical sciences.
Introduction Case reports and case series are central to forensic pathology, yet they almost invariably concern a deceased subject and often contain potentially identifying material. International publication ethics standards on consent (ICMJE, COPE) were designed for the living clinical patient, leaving unsettled how journals should treat consent when the subject is dead, and death has been investigated by a judicial, rather than consensual, autopsy. Methods Narrative comparative review of the author instructions (“Guide for Authors”) of 22 forensic and medicolegal journals across eleven publishers, consulted directly and complemented by publisher-level patient-consent policies and the ICMJE and COPE meta-standards. For each journal, whether the deceased subject is addressed, who may consent, the anonymization requirement, and handling of the consent form were recorded. Results No journal stated a consent rule calibrated to the forensic setting; none addressed the investigating authority, judicial secrecy, or an autopsy ordered by law. The deceased subject is handled almost everywhere through generic clinical provisions inherited from the publisher (next of kin or legal representative). Three approaches emerged: inherited generic consent (the majority), anonymization only, and scope exclusion. One wholly forensic journal omits the deceased subject entirely. Journals also differed in whether the signed consent form is merely retained, confirmed, or submitted. Conclusions Medicolegal journals do not adapt the inherited clinical consent standard to forensic practice. A tiered decision framework and a model deceased-subject clause—distinguishing judicial from consensual autopsy and integrating anonymization and scope discipline—are proposed for editors and authors.
