Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Gregersen

Publications and source records attributed to M Gregersen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Denmark: evaluation of the increasing incidence of registered SIDS in the period 1972 to 1983 and results of a prospective study in 1987 through 1988.

To investigate a reported increase, from 0.4 to 1.3 per thousand live births, in the Danish incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a retrospective analysis of SIDS in Denmark from 1972 to 1983 was carried out. Based on data registered with the National Board of Health, a notable regional difference in SIDS rate between the western and eastern parts of Denmark was found. This difference did not correlate with the overall postneonatal mortality by region. Danish law requires medicolegal investigation in all cases of sudden unexpected death. Medicolegal autopsies are performed only in the three forensic institutes which cover all of Denmark. Despite the law and a uniform organization of the forensic medical services, differing application of postmortem examinations and individual interpretation of the history and autopsy in cases of sudden infant death existed. Differences in reporting of respiratory infections, suffocation, and cardiac malformation were found to contribute to the increase and to regional disparities in SIDS incidence. The three Danish forensic institutes examined all cases of sudden infant deaths in Denmark 1987 and 1988. These cases were classified as explained cause of death, pure SIDS, and atypical SIDS; atypical cases were evaluated by consensus. The SIDS incidence (the number of classic SIDS and atypical SIDS per thousand live births) was 1.9 in 1987 and 1.3 in 1988, and it was identical in the eastern and western part of Denmark; however, a higher incidence both of overall postneonatal and SIDS mortality was found in the middle region of Denmark.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Autopsy↗
PubMed1991

Fatal poisoning with intravenously injected methadone and no fresh injection marks found.

Drugs addicts are commonly brought to casualty wards where they often pose a diagnostic problem. They are typically brought in unconscious with no signs of disease or trauma. The suspicion of poisoning arises by the finding of fresh injection marks. This paper describes a case in which a young male drug addict was dead on arrival in hospital without recognizable recent injection marks but with some old wounds or necroses in both groins. The autopsy and toxicological analyses revealed that death was caused by an overdose of methadone and that the necroses in the groins were fistulas facilitating administration of the drugs directly into larger veins.

Drug Overdose↗
PubMed1991

Central nervous system calcifications following tap water rinsing in autopsy material from children. A pitfall.

CNS from 80 children collected consecutively at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus, were investigated. Owing to peculiar calcifications of the first 41 CNS examined, we gradually came to suspect that some external factors had influenced the results. Different fixation methods used on the CNS, rinsed or not rinsed in tap water, led us to suggest that the relatively high calcium content in the tap water in our part of the country was the cause. The non-pathologic calcification could presumably mimic metabolic diseases.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1990

[Sudden death in children with gastrointestinal diseases. 24 forensic cases].

During the period 1963-1986, 24 fatal cases of gastrointestinal disease in children aged 0-14 years were referred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark, for autopsy. We have retrospectively, reviewed the cases and asked the medical officers of health, whether complaints against doctors or hospitals for negligence had been raised. The material consists of 19 boys and 5 girls with 9 different gastrointestinal diagnoses, predominantly small intestinal obstructive diseases such as intussuception, volvolus and adhesions. Five children with gastroenteritis were included who were treated and died at home. Reported prodromal symptoms were present in 23 of 24 cases. Nineteen had contacted a doctor in the week preceding death. The number of consultations ranged from 1 to 3 and involved general practitioners predominantly. Among 14 of 19 cases where death occurred at home, a doctor had been called prior to the death of the child. In 12 cases the clinical diagnoses were different from the autopsy results. The most frequent wrong clinical diagnosis was gastroenteritis. After the autopsies, five cases were reported to the National Board of Health for further consideration. In four cases the National Board of Health stated that negligence had existed. From our investigations and research from elsewhere it appeared that the National Board of Health defines negligence as considerable error of judgement, or where examination or history raking, had been insufficient. The main purpose is to prevent these gastrointestinal deaths. Attention has been drawn, in particular, to the small intestinal obstructive diseases and dehydration following gastroenteritis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Chlamydia and sudden infant death syndrome. A study of 166 SIDS and 30 control cases.

Chlamydia inclusions could be demonstrated by an immunofluorescence assay in formalin-fixed lung sections in 32 of 166 cases (19.4%) of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and in the lungs of only 1 of 30 infants with a known cause of death (3.3%). The difference is statistically significant (P = 0.04). Chlamydia trachomatis is an agent of pneumonia in 1-4 month-old infants who have acquired the disease from an infected cervix during birth, but other chlamydia species are also capable of causing pneumonia. The lung sections of the 32 chlamydia positive SIDS cases did not show typical histological signs of pneumonia. Even though chlamydia inclusions were detected in the lungs of 32 SIDS cases a causal relation between chlamydia infection and SIDS could not be demonstrated.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1988

The concentration of twelve elements in the anterior pituitary from human subjects and rats as measured by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE).

The concentration of twelve elements--potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, bromine, and rubidium--in anterior pituitaries from human subjects and rats was measured using Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). The human material included anterior pituitaries from 37 normal human subjects, 27 males and 10 females, all of whom died from traumatic lesions. Excluded from the investigations were persons with alcohol abuse, regular use of drugs, and babies younger than 1 year. For selenium, zinc, bromine, and to some extent copper, there was good correlation between the amounts found in anterior pituitaries from rats and human subjects. A significant difference between male and female rat pituitaries was observed for copper, iron, and rubidium, whereas for humans significant difference was only observed for manganese. Anterior pituitaries from human females contained generally more zinc than male glands, but the concentration of zinc in young males was higher than in females. The present study also indicates age related differences in the copper content in anterior pituitaries from human subjects, since pituitaries from humans between 15-45 years contained 25% more copper than those from younger or older persons. The opposite pattern was observed in males. For such elements as Cu, Fe, Mn, and Se, the content in the anterior pituitary from human subjects was 1.6-2 times that stated for other endocrine organs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

[Lamelliform incision for opening the anterior chamber in cataract extraction].

A technique of opening the anterior chamber by a 1.0 to 1.5 mm large scleral lamella was developed in an attempt to reduce postoperative astigmatism after cataract surgery. In a series of 483 eyes in which cataract extraction was performed by six surgeons, this technique was compared with the usual corneoscleral incision. Experienced surgeons generally achieved lower or equal rates of postoperative astigmatism with the scleral lamella incision, whereas less experienced surgeons caused higher rates of astigmatism with the scleral lamella and lower ones with the corneoscleral incision. No differences were found between the two techniques as regards the directions of the axis of postoperative astigmatism.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Astrocytes in the postnatal central nervous system. From birth to 14 years of age. An immunohistochemical study on paraffin-embedded material.

The postnatal development of the fibrillary astrocyte in 25 children without any anamnestic or post mortem signs of disease were studied. The investigation was performed on basis of the immunoperoxidase method for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The supporting function of the external glial limiting membrane, the glial vascular limiting membrane and the metabolic role of the astrocytes are stressed. During the postnatal myelination of the white matter the immature astrocyte changed into the mature form and a dense fibrous network developed. The radially oriented glial processes of the Bergmann astrocytes of the cerebellum guided the fetal external granular cells during the migration. In the brainstem we found minor variations of the dense fibrous astrocytic network both in children dead after accidents and in sudden infant death syndrome. These findings presumably demonstrate a normal pattern.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The myocardium in epileptics.

The main purpose of this investigation was to examine by quantitative methods if pathological fibrosis could be found in the myocardium of epileptics. The investigation was retrospective and included 23 epileptics and 30 controls who were age- and sex-matched with the epileptics. No difference was found between epileptics and the control group as far as cellular infiltration, single myocyte necrosis, basophilic cell degeneration, and fresh bleeding were concerned. Fibrosis of the myocardium was measured quantitatively by point counting. The fibrosis was approximately 6% of the muscle mass in both groups. In conclusion, no structural difference in the myocardial composition was found between epileptics and the control group.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Child abuse and neglect in Denmark: medico-legal aspects.

On the basis of material selected at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Aarhus , from 1959 to 1980, we estimated the frequency of mortality from child abuse in Denmark to be 0.5 child deaths per million inhabitants per year. This figure is equal to that in Sweden and Norway but lower than most other countries. The study population included 53 abused children: 33 living children (18 boys and 15 girls) and 20 fatalities (11 boys and 9 girls). The social background of the children and abusers (32 men and 15 women) is described in connection with the juridical and social outcome of the cases. Cases with repetitive lesions were the most important evidence of child abuse. In cases with non-repetitive injuries, it was more difficult to prove that child abuse had taken place, but subdural hematoma and abdominal lesions with rupture of the duodenum or tearing of the mesenterium were very strong evidence. We think that a better handling of cases of child abuse or neglect could be obtained with extended collaboration between the social authorities, the police, the public prosecutor , the pediatrician and the forensic pathologist.

Battered Child Syndrome↗