Background: Burns are not uncommon in Egypt, for successful prevention of such accidents it is essential to analyze the medicolegal aspects of these cases. The present study was conducted in Assiut university hospitals. Burn cases that were admitted to the emergency units during years of 2015 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed from the available records. Purpose: to investigate medicolegal aspects and demography of burn cases presented in emergency units at Assiut University Hospitals during years 2015 and 2016 to identify vulnerable personnel, and to evaluate their outcomes. Methods: A retrospectives study analyzing data from the records between 01/01/2015 to 31/12/2016. Data regarding age, gender, type of burn, percentage of body surface area involved in burn, hospital stay of victims, fate of cases, and survival period of deceased victims was collected and analyzed using SPSS. Results: The study revealed male predominance, 258 (75.26%) male victims out of total 380 victims. The mean age for victims was 15.57 years with most of the victims (52.89%) of burn were between the ages of 0 to 10 years, the minim age was 2 months while the maximum age was 73 years. Hot liquids and flame were the commonest causes of burn. 77.11% of burns in children age less than 11 years were due to hot liquids. The highest percentage of cases of burn was found in winter (29.2%). 32.89% of victims were students. The mean of hospital stay was 8.29 days. 17.63 % of burn victims admitted during these two years died. Conclusions: Male victims represent most burn patients with children being more vulnerable. Preventive measures against burns should be taken in order to prevent burns particularly in children.

Background: Medico-legal autopsies are done on request by the police for investigating sudden, suspicious and unnatural deaths. It is done to establish a cause and manner of death. Manner of death could be classified according to the circumstances of death to; unnatural manners e.g. (homicidal, accidental, suicidal), naturally or unidentified. Objective: To identify the epidemiological profile and characteristics of death in medico-legal autopsies in Qena, Luxor and Aswan governorates. Methodology: A retrospective descriptive statistical analysis of the medico-legal autopsies conducted at Qena, Luxor and Aswan governorates, during the period from 2008 to 2011. Results: Total number of medico-legal autopsies performed during the study period was 511 cases. Homicidal cases were 57.34%, accidental cases were 16.83%, 12.72% were suicidal, 4.89% were natural deaths, and manner of death was not identified in 8.22% of autopsies. Most of the homicidal victims were males representing 79.9% of homicidal deaths, 73.3% of accidental deaths and 47.7% of suicidal deaths. Age groups of 21-30 year and 31-40 years accounted for 26.62% and 21.72% of the deaths respectively. Firearm, blunt and stab injuries were the main recorded injuries representing 34.44%, 13.31%, and 12.72% respectively. The Chest was the target of firearm and stab wounds while the head was the target of blunt trauma. Asphyxial deaths represented 8.61 % of all deaths. drowning represented 34.1% of asphyxial deaths. Poisoning was the cause of death in 12.13% of autopsies and 80.65% of poisoning deaths were caused by hair dye. Conclusion: High incidence of homicidal firearm mortality in these districts. High incidence of homicidal death was recorded in males and it was mainly due to firearm, stab and blunt trauma while suicide showed a higher incidence in females ,especially using hair dyes. Males committed suicide by more violent methods; hanging, ligature strangulation and firearms.

Background: The blowflies of Chrysomya albiceps are of medical and forensic importance because larvae of C. albiceps are the insects that are most commonly associated with corpses. Tramadol is a widely abused opioid with increased cases of overdose. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of tramadol on C. albiceps larvae and to determine tramadol level in the third larval stages of C. albiceps reared on tissue containing tramadol. Methods: C. albiceps was reared on rabbit tissues administered tramadol (30.8 mg/kg dissolved in distilled water) by intraperitoneal injection twice daily for one week. The control group was reared on rabbits injected with distilled water. The third larval instar of C. albiceps was studied using scanning electron microscope. Biomorphic data (weight, length, and width) of larvae were documented and compared to those of the control group. Tramadol concentrations in postmortem livers, kidneys, and muscles from both treated and control groups were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) immediately after scarification of rabbits. Results: Significant differences in the means of larval weights, lengths, and widths of tramadol and control group were observed. Ultrastructure changes were also detected in the tramadol reared group in the form of a dense compressed irregular shape larval body and deformed anterior and posterior ends. The concentration of tramadol in the third larval stage was 29.62 µg/g, a level that was comparable to postmortem tissue concentration. Conclusions: The study established the effect of tramadol on the morphology of third larval instar of C. albiceps. These results indicate that tramadol retards larval development, thus interpretation and application of insects' data should be used with caution in forensic entomology when tramadol is suspected as a cause of death.

Background: Substance abuse is a major challenge in Egypt due to changing pattern of abuse and its threating to health, social and economic build of the community. Aim of the work: the present work aims to demonstrate the pattern of substance abuse in Assiut governorate.Also to study the liver, kidney functions and electrocardiographic changes among addicted patients admitted to Addiction

Background Pregabalin (PGB) was approved as new anti-epileptic drugs with little information about its teratogenic effect. Aim of the work to evaluate the developmental toxicity of PGB. Materials and methods 60 pregnant albino rats were divided into three groups. PGB (500 mg/kg body weight/day) was given to group II, PGB (1250 mg/kg body weight/day) was given to Group III and no medications were given to group I. The pups were normally delivered. Liver, kidney and heart specimens were prepared for histological, immunohistochemical, and morphometric studies. Results A dose of 500 mg of PGB had minimal toxic effects in the form of mild collagen deposition and moderate positive caspase-3 immunoexpression. PGB dose of 1250 mg/kg induced gross toxic effects in form of degenerated cardiac myofibres, ruptured blood vessels, vacuolations in the renal cortex, fibrosis and strong positive caspase-3 immunoexpression. Conclusion PGB at dose of 500 mg/kg revealed minimal toxic changes. PGB cause embryotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, as the higher dose induced more degenerative changes.

Background Synthetic cannabinoids are one of the largest groups of new psychoactive substances that invaded Egypt’s drug abuse market over the past few years. Aim Randomized controlled trial study to demonstrate the effects of acute and chronic toxicity by synthetic cannabinoid (Strox) on the brain, liver, heart, and testes in adult male albino rats through histopathological examination by light microscope and immunohistochemistry. Methods Total number of fifty male albino rats were divided into five different groups, two control and three treated groups. Negative and positive control groups received distilled water and dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively, acute group received LD50 (lethal dose 50) once and observed for 14 days, chronic group received 1/10 LD50 for 3 months, and finally chronic withdrawal groups received 1/10 LD50 for 3 months and then left 2 weeks without the substance to observe the withdrawal manifestations. Results The current study revealed various histopathological changes in all organs with increased expression of cannabinoid receptor 1. The most important findings observed by light microscope examination were shrinkage and degenerative changes in Purkinje cells in brain sections, abnormalities in blood sinusoids and architecture in liver section, disruption in cardiac muscle fiber in heart sections, and finally testes showed irregularities in seminiferous tubules and germinal cells. Immunohistochemical staining for caspase-3 in the brain, liver, and heart showed weak-positive reaction in acute group and a strong reaction with chronic groups. Additionally, increase in collagen fiber was observed in sections of the liver and heart of chronic group. Conclusions Synthetic cannabinoid sample (Strox) toxicity caused adverse effects on the brain, liver, heart, and testes as shown by increasing cannabinoid receptor 1 and caspase-3 expression.

Introduction: Ophthalmic injuries in children represent important health concern that may result in lifelong disfigurements and infirmities. Aim of the work: to describe the pattern of ophthalmic injuries in children admitted to Assiut University Hospitals. Subjects and Methods: This study is a prospective descriptive study included 72 children admitted to causality unit of Assiut University Hospital with ophthalmic injuries in the period from 1 st January 2021 to 30 th June 2021. Detailed history and ocular examination were performed for the included subjects. The visual status after injury and after initial repair was evaluated. Results: Mean age of the patients was 8.23 ± 4.55 years, and the male patients represented more than half of the cases with percentage of 58.34%. Most cases were from rural areas (87.5%). The highest incidence (97.24 %) of the cases was accidental and only 2.78% was homicidal. The commonest type of injury was blunt trauma, accounting for 43.06% of the total and penetrating injuries by sharp and/or pointed instruments represented 37.5% of cases. While Intraocular foreign body represented 16.67% of cases. More than half of cases (52.78%) had closed globe injuries while 47.23% of cases had open globe injuries. The visual status after injury and after initial repair was less than 1/60 in 44.44 % of cases (32 cases). Conclusion: Ocular trauma represents a major health concern and cause of decreased visual acuity in children. Domestic eye trauma is mainly accidental and could be avoided and thus education of safety measures is required.

Introduction: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is used abundantly as a white pigment with many applications, food coloring agents, additives, tooth whitening paste, pharmaceutical preparations, painting materials, and sunscreen creams. Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the possible toxicological effects of orally administered TiO2. Methodology: Twenty male albino rats were given food-grade TiO2 in a dose of 20 mg/kg BW via oral gavage at 1 mL daily volume for 120 consecutive days. 20 male rats were used as a control group. Liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP), renal function (urea and creatinine), creatine kinase activity (CK-MB isoenzyme), and serum levels of troponin were measured at the end of the study for each rat. Histopathological analysis of cardiac, hepatic, renal, and gastrointestinal tissue sections was also performed for both groups. Results: Increased CK-MB, cardiac Troponin, ALT, ALP, and urea serum levels in TiO2 treated groups were recorded. Histopathological examination showed focal fibrosis of cardiac tissue. Hepatic sections showed inflammation and fat deposits. Gastrointestinal wall inflammations with blunting of the villi all over the small intestine, active inflammation of the colon and kidney tissues in the renal pelvis were found. Conclusion: Prolonged daily oral administration of food-grade TiO2 can induce cardiovascular, hepatic, intestinal, and renal adverse effects.