Implications for forensic death investigations from first Swiss post-mortem CT in a case of non-hospital treatment with COVID-19

Schweitzer, Wolf; Ruder, Thomas D.; Baumeister, Rilana; Bolliger, Stephan A.; Thali, Michael J.; Meixner, Eva; Ampanozi, Garyfalia

doi:10.1016/j.fri.2020.200378

Cited by 35 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…However, during the pandemic of SARS-COV-2, for a radiologist operator, the natural consequence of the evidence of pulmonary CT findings (typical for COVID-19) is to suggest the diagnosis of SARS-COV-2 infection in the lungs. Patients who died from SARS-COV-2 infection, as already shown in a case of the virtual autopsy by PMCT performed in Switzerland by the group of Thali [45], generally show a dramatic involvement of the lungs with an ARDS resemblance.…”

Section: Potentials Of a Virtual Autopsy In Lung Disease Related To Csupporting

confidence: 53%

“…In many clinical settings, pulmonary CT findings are not considered a diagnostic method for COVID-19, this technique is currently used as a screening method, at least until the data of viral analysis of the nose and throat swab are available. The virtual autopsy with PMCT is already applied in cases of subjects with an ascertained diagnosis of SARS-COV-2 infection who died at home [45]. The authors propose the use of these post-mortem investigation techniques in cadavers of ascertained and suspected SARS-COV-2 infected subjects because of:…”

Section: Advantages Of the Virtual Autopsy In Ascertained Or Suspectementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Post-Mortem Investigation Through Virtual Autopsy Techniques: Proposal of a New Diagnostic Approach to Reduce the Risks of Operators During Emergencies

Malizia¹,

Filograna²,

Ryan³

et al. 2020

IJSSE

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Natural outbreaks of biological agents, causing local and global emergencies, have impacted human safety, social/political/economical activities, and the security of critical infrastructures. Lessons learned by previous emergencies have been used by decisionmakers not only to improve the phases of prevention, intervention, and recovery of normality but also to facilitate the dual-use of methods, instruments, and technologies. A crucial phase of emergency management is the investigation that in the past was based on questioning, suspicions, witnesses, and often unreliable evidence. Nowadays investigation is supported by technology and various types of forensics that are deeply involved. The authors in this paper consider the pandemic outbreak of SARS-COV-2 as a case study and propose virtual autopsy by postmortem CT (PMCT) as a technique to facilitate post-mortem examinations on ascertained or suspected SARS-COV-2 cases. This method reduces the risk of infection for the operators that have to conduct the particular investigations during the emergencies.

show abstract

Section: Potentials Of a Virtual Autopsy In Lung Disease Related To Csupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Advantages Of the Virtual Autopsy In Ascertained Or Suspectementioning

confidence: 99%

Post-Mortem Investigation Through Virtual Autopsy Techniques: Proposal of a New Diagnostic Approach to Reduce the Risks of Operators During Emergencies

Malizia¹,

Filograna²,

Ryan³

et al. 2020

IJSSE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These ndings are supported in a separate autopsy case report of a patient dying 5 days after onset of COVID-19 symptoms. In this case, photomicrographs also show a non-in ammatory transudative-type edema 63 . In both of these studies, the observed non-in ammatory edema in early-stage COVID-19 pulmonary disease is consistent with histamine release by mast cells.…”

Section: Famotidine Reaches Functionally Relevant Systemic Concentratmentioning

confidence: 59%

COVID-19: Famotidine, Histamine, Mast Cells, and Mechanisms

Malone

Tisdall²,

Fremont-Smith

et al. 2020

Preprint

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SARS-CoV-2 infection is required for COVID-19, but many signs and symptoms of COVID-19 differ from common acute viral diseases. Currently, there are no pre- or post-exposure prophylactic COVID-19 medical countermeasures. Clinical data suggest that famotidine may mitigate COVID-19 disease, but both mechanism of action and rationale for dose selection remain obscure. We explore several plausible avenues of activity including antiviral and host-mediated actions. We propose that the principal famotidine mechanism of action for COVID-19 involves on-target histamine receptor H2 activity, and that development of clinical COVID-19 involves dysfunctional mast cell activation and histamine release.

show abstract

“…These ndings are supported in a separate autopsy case report of a patient dying 5 days after onset of COVID-19 symptoms. In this case, photomicrographs also show a non-in ammatory transudative-type edema 62 . In both of these studies, the observed non-in ammatory edema in early-stage COVID-19 pulmonary disease is consistent with histamine release by mast cells.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%