Background: Disaster victim identification (DVI) is a part of a collective response to mass disasters with the intention of identifying victims and body parts. Muscle tissue is sampled during DVI operations to identify victims by DNA analysis. Aim: To provide an effective field based method for preservation of DNA in human muscle tissues. Methods: A cross sectional comparative study was carried out on normal healthy human muscle tissues which were collected from patients admitted to Suez Canal University Hospital for surgical amputation of a part of limb. Muscle tissue was stored for 4 weeks in a number of preservatives at room temperature (15-20°C). This process was repeated at 37°C to simulate the conditions expected during DVI operations in warm conditions. Samples were also stored at-20ºC which represents the optimum storage condition used in many countries. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of DNA extracted from samples was done for each preservative during the 4 weeks. The study was conducted in the clinical pathology department in faculty of medicine-Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt. Results: All preservatives could retain DNA up to the 4 weeks. Ethanol 70% (EtOH) gave the highest DNA concentration in both conditions (p value <0.001), followed by Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in room temperature and Sodium Chloride (NaCl) in 37 ºC. All used preservatives did not show degradation in room temperature, while NaCl and Ethanol 70% showed degradation in DNA extracted in day 28 in 37 ºC condition (p value <0.001). Conclusion: DMSO is a successful method of preservation of DNA in human muscle tissue up to 4 weeks in both room temperature and 37 ºC. While NaCl and Ethanol 70% are successful methods of preservation of DNA in muscle tissue up to 2 weeks only in 37 ºC and up to 4 weeks in room temperature (15-20ºC).
Background: Traumatic vascular injuries are a threat to life.Peripheral vascular trauma makes up 80% of vascular injuries and remains the most important cause of many consequences for the victim, ranging from morbidity to disability. Mechanisms of vascular injury are divided into penetrating and blunt injury. Aim of the Study: To determine the pattern of intentional extremity vascular injuries from the medico-legal viewpoint and to assess different degrees of infirmity that result from these injuries. Subjects and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 92 victims with intentional vascular injuries in the Forensic Medicine Authority, Cairo Department, Ministry of Justice, Egypt. Sociodemographic data was obtained from victims. A medico-legal assessment, the fate of injuries, and the degree of the resulting infirmity were assessed by a forensic expert. Results: Male predominance in all age groups was found with a mean age of 33.82 years. Over half (55%) of the victims were from urban areas. Firearms were the most commonly used causative instrument (46.7%) for inducing the vascular trauma. Upper extremity vascular injuries were more frequent (64.1%). The ulnar and femoral arteries were the most commonly injured vessels (29.3% and 15.2%, respectively). There was statically significant association between the gender and each of the injured limb (p<0.05) and side of injury (p<0.002). There was a significant relationship between accompanied injuries and the anatomical location of extremity vascular injuries (p<0.05). Conclusion: The most intentional peripheral vascular injuries were seen in young men, more frequent by using firearm weapons, the upper extremities were more liable for intentional injuries. The ulnar and femoral arteries were the most commonly injured upper and lower vessels, respectively.
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