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Biomedical subjects

W U Spitz

Publications and source records attributed to W U Spitz.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Sudden death of an elderly man with multiple malignant neoplasms.

With the lengthening of the human life span, cancer has become an increasingly important medical problem for the aged. It is not uncommon to find multiple primary neoplasms in elderly individuals. We recently investigated the death of an elderly man who had died suddenly and had three incidental malignant neoplasms, including a pleural mesothelioma, first diagnosed at autopsy. The importance of performing a complete medicolegal autopsy for epidemiological and statistical purposes is emphasized.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Killer pop machines.

Abuse and misuse of soda vending machines has resulted in a considerable number of injuries and deaths. The machines fall forward when rocked or tilted and crush those in front. These accidents are all preventable by a simple and cheap device. There should be a law compelling safety requirements for these machines. This is a report of a recent case in which a young man was crushed to death.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1989

Fatal accidents and blood ethanol levels in adolescents and adults. The Wayne County experience, 1978-1988.

The files of 874 fatal traumatic accident victims, aged 12-25 years, examined at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office during the period 1978-1988 were reviewed. Postmortem blood alcohol results of individuals who died after less than 15 min of hospitalization were utilized to approximate alcohol levels at the time of the fatal injury. Relationships between types of accidents, sex, age, race, and time of accident were examined. White victims were far more likely to have been drinking than blacks, and the data indicated that underaged drinkers were involved in fatal accidents at lower levels of blood alcohol than their counterparts of legal drinking age. Consistent racial differences in average alcohol levels were not observed, however. Unlike female and black victims, who much less frequently tested positive for alcohol when underage, white male victims 16-21 years of age were just as likely to have been drinking as those aged 21-25. The results of the study show that postmortem blood alcohol level can be used to identify differences in alcohol consumption among groups of accident victims in a major metropolitan area.

Accidents↗
PubMed1989

Postmortem cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis.

We show that postmortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis is a common event. Postmortem cerebrospinal or ventricular fluid was obtained from children and adults. The cells were counted and morphologically characterized using several histochemical markers. Infants exhibit a brisk postmortem CSF pleocytosis. Sudden infant death cases have relatively high CSF counts. Typeable cells are mononuclear and consist of approximately 60%-70% lymphocytes and 20%-40% macrophages. When postmortem duration is greater than 12 h, the cells become vacuolated and cannot be identified. The etiology of these findings requires further study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Necrotizing fasciitis: a fatal outcome following minor trauma. Case report and literature review.

The death of a young healthy man, 11 days after he sustained minor trauma, illustrates the potential disaster of undiagnosed necrotizing fasciitis. Difficulty in early diagnosis often arises because the skin is initially spared and only later becomes secondarily involved. In this case, because of the lack of external manifestations, the diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis was not considered until the postmortem examination. Necrotizing fasciitis should be considered a potentially serious problem that can follow minor trauma and eventually lead to death. The need for a high index of suspicion to make this diagnosis, along with the medicolegal implication of a diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis, are both addressed in this report. Also of note is the fact that this patient was treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs for pain and inflammation, which has recently been reported to be associated with an increased incidence of fulminant evolution of necrotizing fasciitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Resuscitation and petechiae.

Petechiae can be important corroborative evidence of asphyxia, but are also seen in persons who have died of other means. It is not uncommon to encounter them in cases in which cardiopulmonary resuscitation has reestablished blood flow and pressure in small vessels already damaged by hypoxia resulting in the formation of petechiae. This report documents some representative cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Accidental bed deaths in infants due to unsafe sleeping situations.

Sixteen accidental deaths of infants occcurred in Wayne County (Detroit) during 1974-1975 as a result of unsafe sleeping environments. Thirteen of these deaths resulted from different modes of asphyxia, two were due to falls, and one drowned. Differential diagnoses are pointed out. It is estimated that over 600 infants die each year in the United States due to unsafe sleeping conditions. Despite the magnitude and importance of this problem, little has been provided to the public in the form of preventive education. Federal regulations, passed in 1974, control the manufacture of new cribs but do not affect the existing unsafe cribs. Suggestions for the prevention of such fatal accidents are outlined, including a safety check list for infant beds. The cooperation of all health professions is required to educate the public of these dangers to their infants.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1976

Short-range ammunition--a possible anti-hijacking device.

Short-range ammunition was developed for use by law enforcement personnel in congested, enclosed areas and primarily as a hijacking deterrent in commercial airliners. This ammunition was expected to reduce the risk of injury to innocent bystanders and prevent damage to the aircraft walls. Experimentally, short-range ammunition is effective in its wounding capacity at close ranges, and it does not exit from the body. Due to the particular structure of the projectile, injuries due to ricochet are averted. At ranges of 6 ft (1.8 m), the risk of damage to the full thickness of an aircraft wall does exist. Short-range ammunition deserves serious consideration as an alternative to regular ammunition for use in specialized, close-quartered situations, such as hijacking.

Aircraft↗
PubMed1975

Narcotic abuse among homicide victims in Detroit.

A record of 751 homicides occurred in Detroit in 1973. An attempt was made to explore the relationship between narcotics and a random sample of these homicides. It was demonstrated that in the group studied, 43% were narcotic users. It is suggested that if one includes pushers and dealers (possibly victims of a "drug war"), people killed by addicts, and those cases where a narcotic might not be detected in the biological sample, the percentage of homicide victims associated with narcotics traffic could be as high as 60 to 70%. An investigation into the manner (executed, killed in a robbery attempt, etc) helps substantiate this suggestion. Finally, unlike the majority of homicide victims, ethanol is infrequently found in the victim using narcotics.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Accidental death with tear gas pen gun: a case report.

A case of accidental death resulting from a dropped tear gas pen gun is described. Tear gas pen guns can be easily altered to fire regular ammunition and can accommodate a variety of ammunition. Other similar pocket-sized weapons are mentioned.

Accidents↗