Abstract:
The recognition of abuse and/or neglect still represents a challenge for both clinicians and forensic pathologists. Whereas abusive behaviors have been largely described among pediatric and elderly populations, adults\' abuse and neglect is less frequently encountered, and therefore investigated. We report a case of a middle-aged woman without any known organic or psychiatric disorders who died of a multiple organ failure (MOF) due to extreme cachexia and bed-resting syndrome. The integration of all clinical, autopsy and histopathological data highlighted a picture of severe malnutrition, restraint, and widespread traumatic injuries related to abuse and neglect. We believe that the case here presented could be useful for both clinicians and forensic pathologists as it underlines once again the importance of collecting and integrating all medical evidence (both in the ante- and post-mortem settings) for reconstructing the most probable pathophysiology of disorders and injuries, comparing that reconstruction with the allegations of the caregivers, and thus identifying any potential abuse and/or neglect behaviors.
摘要:
对滥用和/或忽视的认识仍然是临床医生和法医病理学家的挑战。尽管虐待行为在儿科和老年人群中得到了很大的描述,成年人遭受虐待和忽视的频率较低,因此进行了调查。我们报告了一例中年妇女,没有任何已知的器质性或精神疾病,由于极端恶病质和卧床综合征而死于多器官衰竭(MOF)。所有临床的整合,尸检和组织病理学数据突出了严重营养不良的情况,克制,以及与虐待和忽视有关的广泛创伤。我们认为,这里介绍的案例可能对临床医生和法医病理学家都有用,因为它再次强调了收集和整合所有医学证据(在死前和死后环境中)对于重建最可能的病理生理学的重要性疾病和伤害,将重建与护理人员的指控进行比较,从而识别任何潜在的滥用和/或忽视行为。