Comparison of the effects of two legal blood alcohol limits: the presence of alcohol in traffic accidents according to category of driver in Izmir, Turkey.

OBJECTIVES: Under existing Turkish road traffic law, there are 2 different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits allowed for drivers in 2013: zero blood alcohol and ≤0.50 g/L. All public transport, taxi, commercial, and official vehicle drivers must maintain a zero blood alcohol concentration while driving. Private vehicle drivers must maintain a BAC of 0.50 g/L or lower. The aim of the recent study was to evaluate the effect of these 2 legal blood alcohol limits on nonfatal traffic accidents that occurred due to the driver being under the influence of alcohol. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the blood alcohol concentration of 224 drivers in nonfatal road accidents between June 2010 and July 2011 using headspace gas chromatography at the Izmir Forensic Medicine Group Presidency, Turkey. All cases evaluated by the toxicology department were entered into a database. We used descriptive statistics, χ(2) test, and independent sampling test to analyze the data. RESULTS: The total number of drivers involved in nonfatal traffic accidents was 224; 191 were private vehicle drivers and 33 were public transport, taxi, commercial, and official vehicle drivers. In the present study, alcohol was detected in the blood of about 27.2% (n = 61) of the 224 drivers. Sixty (31.4%) private vehicle drivers involved in nonfatal traffic accidents tested positive for alcohol. BAC values were also above the legal limit (0.50 g/L) in 27.7% (n = 53) of private vehicle drivers. However, the BAC was above the legal limit in only 3% (n = 1) of public transport, commercial, and official vehicle drivers involved in nonfatal traffic accidents. These results showed that private vehicle drivers subject to a BAC limit of ≤0.50 g/L were significantly associated with an increased risk of nonfatal accident involvement than drivers subject to a zero BAC limit (odds ratio [OR] = 12.29, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64-92.22; Fisher's exact test, P <.001). Mean BAC in private vehicle drivers subject to a 0.50 g/L level (52.60 mg/dl ± 94.84) was significantly higher than that of drivers subject to a zero alcohol level (10.76 mg/dl ± 61.80; t = 2.44, P <.001). CONCLUSION: In light of our results, lowering the BAC limit for private vehicle drivers may reduce the level of driving under the influence of alcohol. A change in the law will decrease the rates of alcohol-related road accidents in Turkey.

[Incorrect identification in forensic medicine (wrong conclusion): a case report]. / Adli tibbi uygulamalarda hatali tanimlama, yanlis karar: Olgu sunumu.

Correct identification of lesions in examined patients is as important in forensic medicine application as it is in the medical profession. However, general practitioners and clinicians often fail to give proper attention to the definition and recording of the lesions and clinical findings in patients. Additionally, the identification of the lesion is sometimes deficient or incorrect. This has hindered, particularly in traumatic events that are of a forensic nature, reaching accurate conclusions during the interpretative and legal phases. In this study, we describe the case of a nine-year-old boy admitted to the hospital following a traffic accident. During his evaluation, an ecchymosis "resembling a rail" on his chest was noted. Consequently, legal/judicial authorities suspected the child may have been exposed to violence or child abuse and he was referred to our department. Practitioners may contribute to inaccurate decisions/conclusions if they fail to give the necessary detailed attention during the forensic interpretation (detailed examination and recording of lesions) and judicial process or if they have insufficient knowledge on this subject. This case is submitted as an interesting example since it included the possibility of inaccurate conclusion and judgment.

The importance of medico-legal evaluation in a case with intraabdominal gossypiboma.

Data concerning the incidence of gossypiboma tend to fluctuate and is difficult to estimate because of a low reporting rate lest medico-legal implication. Gossypiboma is frequently located in the abdominal and pelvic cavities after gynecologic and upper abdominal surgical operations but can also follow thoracic, orthopedic, and urological and neurosurgical procedures. In medical literature, there are few articles about the medico-legal evaluation of gossypiboma although it is typically subjected to a medico-legal process. In this article, we reported a 22-year-old female case with intraabdominal gossypiboma following a cesarean procedure and discussed the importance of medico-legal evaluation of gossypiboma.

Criminal and legal responsibilities in Tourette's syndrome.

Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by the presence of multiple involuntary motor tics accompanied by one or more vocal tics. Articles about TS and criminal responsibility and the restriction of civil rights are limited. A person with TS was evaluated to consider his criminal responsibility after swearing at a referee during a football game. He was also evaluated as to whether or not he was capable of professionally driving a service bus. Additionally, medico-legal situations regarding military service, obtaining a shotgun license and marriages of patients with TS were considered.