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Oliveira M, Amorim A. Microbial forensics: new breakthroughs and future prospects. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:10377-10391. [PMID: 30302518 PMCID: PMC7080133 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9414-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in genetic data generation, through massive parallel sequencing (MPS), storage and analysis have fostered significant progresses in microbial forensics (or forensic microbiology). Initial applications in circumstances of biocrime, bioterrorism and epidemiology are now accompanied by the prospect of using microorganisms (i) as ancillary evidence in criminal cases; (ii) to clarify causes of death (e.g., drownings, toxicology, hospital-acquired infections, sudden infant death and shaken baby syndromes); (iii) to assist human identification (skin, hair and body fluid microbiomes); (iv) for geolocation (soil microbiome); and (v) to estimate postmortem interval (thanatomicrobiome and epinecrotic microbial community). When compared with classical microbiological methods, MPS offers a diverse range of advantages and alternative possibilities. However, prior to its implementation in the forensic context, critical efforts concerning the elaboration of standards and guidelines consolidated by the creation of robust and comprehensive reference databases must be undertaken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Oliveira
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho,45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
| | - António Amorim
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Ipatimup - Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho,45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
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Rowbotham SK, Blau S. Skeletal fractures resulting from fatal falls: A review of the literature. Forensic Sci Int 2016; 266:582.e1-582.e15. [PMID: 27264682 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2016.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To investigate what is currently known about skeletal blunt force trauma (BFT) resulting from falls, and how valuable that research is in contributing to forensic anthropology investigations and interpretations of circumstances of death, a comprehensive review of forensic anthropology, forensic pathology and clinical medicine literature was performed. Forensic anthropology literature identified that establishing the type of fall from the analysis of BFT is difficult given the uniqueness of each fall event, the complexities involved with identify BFT and, in particular, the limited available research documenting fracture patterning and morphologies. Comparatively, skeletal BFT resulting from fatal falls is well documented in the forensic pathology and clinical medicine literature. These disciplines cover a wide range of fall types (free falls, falls in juveniles, specific fractures produced from falls, falls down staircases, falls resulting in impalements, and 'other' fall types), provide details on how the nature of the fall influences the skeletal fracturing, and documents the anatomical regions susceptible to fracturing. Whilst these contributions may assist forensic anthropologists, they provide limited details of fracture patterns and morphologies and thus further research investigating the details of skeletal BFT resulting from fatal falls is required.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soren Blau
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine/Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Australia
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Byard RW. Pediatric forensic pathology : The practice, the prose, and the problems. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2015; 2:135-6. [PMID: 25868592 DOI: 10.1385/fsmp:2:2:135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Byard RW. “Shaken baby syndrome” and forensic pathology: an uneasy interface. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2013; 10:239-41. [DOI: 10.1007/s12024-013-9514-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Byard RW, Krous HF, Rognum TO. The Soria Moria approach to pediatric forensic issues. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2013; 10:293-4. [PMID: 23832425 DOI: 10.1007/s12024-013-9470-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roger W Byard
- Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology, The University of Adelaide, Level 3 Medical School North Building, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia,
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Byard RW. Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Evolution. Acad Forensic Pathol 2012. [DOI: 10.23907/2012.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric forensic pathology has been under considerable scrutiny in recent years with a number of significant issues being raised concerning the quality and application of this subspecialized area. Considering the relatively small numbers of pediatric cases that are seen in medicolegal practice, the area unfortunately attracts more than its share of public and professional attention and criticism. Although easy to define (it is the study of injury and disease in children and its application to the law), problems have arisen in determining how pediatric forensic pathology should be taught, certified, and practiced. Despite a number of positive developments occurring, with formal inquiries into practices and the formulation of recommendations and protocols, it is still unclear what constitutes a pediatric forensic pathologist; for example; is it an adult forensic pathologist who has an interest in pediatric cases, or should the term be restricted to a board certified pediatric pathologist who undertakes forensic work? Alternatively, should pediatric forensic pathology be a separate subspeciality with its own examinations and standards?
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger W. Byard
- Marks Chair of Pathology at The University of Adelaide, Australia
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Byard RW, Gabrielian L, Helps SC, Thornton E, Vink R. Further investigations into the speed of cerebral swelling following blunt cranial trauma. J Forensic Sci 2012; 57:973-5. [PMID: 22372694 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2012.02109.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An anesthetized sheep model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been developed to assess early changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) following closed head injury. Immediately after TBI, a transient (<10 min) hypertensive response occurred, followed by significant and prolonged systemic hypotension. ICP demonstrated a biphasic response, being seven times baseline values of 8 ± 2 mm Hg 10 min after injury, decreasing to 25 ± 2 mm Hg by 30 min, and then increasing to values exceeding 30 mm Hg by 4 h postinjury. ICP was always significantly higher than baseline values, which combined with hypotension, reduced cerebral perfusion pressure to less than 60% of normal. This early and sustained increase in ICP after craniocerebral trauma acutely alters cerebral perfusion pressure and brain oxygenation and provides a potential pathophysiological explanation for immediate clinical manifestations in humans following significant TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger W Byard
- Adelaide Centre for Neuroscience Research, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
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Abstract
Emergency and forensic physicians may find themselves sometimes on the same medical battleground but with different primary aims and hence often ignore or do not recognize each other's needs. The emergency physician interacts with law enforcement agencies with greater frequency than any other hospital physician and hence needs expertise with legal issues. Awareness of the forensic relevance of certain medical observations by emergency physicians, knowledge of emergency medicine methodology and techniques and of resuscitation-related injuries by forensic physicians may lead to a higher standard in both forensic and emergency medicine, a better serving of the criminal justice system, and most importantly safeguarding the rights of victims of criminal assault. It is this achievable mutual symbiosis that we would like to refer to as the concept of 'forensic emergency medicine'.
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Gill JR, Goldfeder LB, Armbrustmacher V, Coleman A, Mena H, Hirsch CS. Fatal head injury in children younger than 2 years in New York City and an overview of the shaken baby syndrome. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2009; 133:619-27. [PMID: 19391663 DOI: 10.5858/133.4.619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Shaken baby syndrome is a controversial topic in forensic pathology. Some forensic pathologists state that shaking alone is insufficient to explain death and that an impact must have occurred even if there is no impact site on the head. OBJECTIVE To examine a large cohort of fatal, pediatric head injuries for patterns of specific autopsy findings and circumstances that would support or dispute pure shaking as the cause of death. DESIGN We retrospectively reviewed 59 deaths due to head injuries in children younger than 2 years certified in our office during a 9 year period (1998-2006). The review included autopsy, toxicology, microscopy, neuropathology, and police and investigators' reports. RESULTS There were 46 homicides, 8 accidents, and 1 undetermined death from blunt-impact injury of the head. In 10 (22%) of the homicides, there was no impact injury to the head, and the cause of death was certified as whiplash shaking. In 4 (40%) of these 10 deaths, there was a history of shaking. In 5 (83%) of the other 6, there was no history of any purported accidental or homicidal injury. All 8 accidental deaths had impact sites. Of the 59 deaths, 4 (6.7%) had only remote injuries (chronic subdural hematomas, remote long bone fractures) that were certified as undetermined cause and manner. These 4 deaths were excluded from the study. CONCLUSIONS We describe a subset of fatal, nonaccidental head-injury deaths in infants without an impact to the head. The autopsy findings and circumstances are diagnostic of a nonimpact, shaking mechanism as the cause of death. Fatal, accidental head injuries in children younger than 2 years are rare.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Gill
- Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Byard RW, Bhatia KD, Reilly PL, Vink R. How rapidly does cerebral swelling follow trauma? Observations using an animal model and possible implications in infancy. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2009; 11 Suppl 1:S128-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2009.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2008] [Revised: 01/08/2009] [Accepted: 02/02/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Chadwick DL, Bertocci G, Castillo E, Frasier L, Guenther E, Hansen K, Herman B, Krous HF. Annual risk of death resulting from short falls among young children: less than 1 in 1 million. Pediatrics 2008; 121:1213-24. [PMID: 18519492 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-2281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of the work was to develop an estimate of the risk of death resulting from short falls of <1.5 m in vertical height, affecting infants and young children between birth and the fifth birthday. METHODS A review of published materials, including 5 book chapters, 2 medical society statements, 7 major literature reviews, 3 public injury databases, and 177 peer-reviewed, published articles indexed in the National Library of Medicine, was performed. RESULTS The California Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control Branch injury database yielded 6 possible fall-related fatalities of young children in a population of 2.5 million young children over a 5-year period. The other databases and the literature review produced no data that would indicate a higher short-fall mortality rate. Most publications that discuss the risk of death resulting from short falls say that such deaths are rare. No deaths resulting from falls have been reliably reported from day care centers. CONCLUSIONS The best current estimate of the mortality rate for short falls affecting infants and young children is <0.48 deaths per 1 million young children per year. Additional research is suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- David L Chadwick
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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Byard RW, Blumbergs P, Rutty G, Sperhake J, Banner J, Krous HF. Lack of evidence for a causal relationship between hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and subdural hemorrhage in fetal life, infancy, and early childhood. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2007; 10:348-50. [PMID: 17929988 DOI: 10.2350/06-08-0154.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2006] [Accepted: 12/01/2006] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
It has been asserted that hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) with cerebral swelling in the absence of marked trauma may be responsible for subural hemorrhage in the young. As this may have considerable implications in determining both the mechanism of death and the degree of force required to cause injury in certain cases of inflicted head injury in infancy, clarification is required. A retrospective study of 82 fetuses, infants, and toddlers with proven HIE and no trauma was undertaken from forensic institutes in Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and the United States. The age range was 35 weeks gestation to 3 years, with a male to female ratio of 2:1. All cases had histologically confirmed HIE. Causes of the hypoxic episodes were temporarily resuscitated sudden infant death syndrome with delayed death (N = 30), drowning (N = 12), accidental asphyxia (N = 10), intrauterine/delivery asphyxia (N = 8), congenital disease (N = 6), aspiration of food/gastric contents (N = 4), inflicted asphyxia (N = 3), epilepsy (N = 1), dehydration (N = 1), drug toxicity (N = 1), complications of prematurity (N = 1), and complications of anesthesia (N = 1). The initiating event was not determined in 4 instances. In no case was there macroscopic evidence of subdural hemorrhage. In this study no support could be given to the hypothesis that HIE in the young in the absence of trauma causes subdural hemorrhage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger W Byard
- Discipline of Pathology, University of Adelaide and Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Byard RW. Forensic aspects related to pediatric pathology--Medicolegal aspects of pediatric head injuries. Keio J Med 2006; 55:149-52. [PMID: 17191069 DOI: 10.2302/kjm.55.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The pathological examination and assessment of inflicted head injuries in infants and young children are often complicated by the subtle nature of the injuries, the non-specificity of lesions, and the lack of experimental data that can be used to clarify possible forces and mechanisms of damage. Opinions often have to be given on a number of issues, with a paucity of information in the literature and lack of specific individual experience. The following paper reviews some of the problems that are currently found in the medicolegal evaluation of infants and young children with inflicted craniocerebral trauma and issues that consequently arise in court.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger W Byard
- Disciline of Pathology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
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Hiss J, Freund M, Kahana T. The forensic expert witness--an issue of competency. Forensic Sci Int 2006; 168:89-94. [PMID: 16842948 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2006] [Revised: 05/14/2006] [Accepted: 06/04/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Scientists submitting expert opinions within the legal system are expected to be knowledgeable in the forensic aspects of their particular science, as well as to be ethical and unbiased. Scientists are seldom able to decline a request to provide an expert opinion in their field, even when their forensic expertise is minimal. The competence of scientists providing expert opinions in forensic cases is reviewed here. Three examples of the perils of uninformed "expertise" in forensic biology, medicine and anthropology are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehuda Hiss
- National Centre of Forensic Medicine, 67 Ben Zvi Street P.O. Box 8495, Tel Aviv 61085, Israel
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