The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events
IntroductionThe diagnosis of unexpected death by excluding non-natural causes, particularly in subjects with epilepsy, is a topic of interest and it is difficult to identify in the forensic field. Health professionals sometimes are faced with cases of sudden death, generally in young adults with a l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1231515/full |
| _version_ | 1797792436281409536 |
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| author | Antonina Argo Maria Puntarello Ginevra Malta Roberto Buscemi Giovanni Scalzo Valentina Triolo Giuseppe Davide Albano Stefania Zerbo |
| author_facet | Antonina Argo Maria Puntarello Ginevra Malta Roberto Buscemi Giovanni Scalzo Valentina Triolo Giuseppe Davide Albano Stefania Zerbo |
| author_sort | Antonina Argo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe diagnosis of unexpected death by excluding non-natural causes, particularly in subjects with epilepsy, is a topic of interest and it is difficult to identify in the forensic field. Health professionals sometimes are faced with cases of sudden death, generally in young adults with a long history of epilepsy that require, for judicial purposes, an explanation in terms of cause and means to determine the death. SUDEP is an entity diagnosed by the exclusion of other causes that may have led to death, and then for forensic purposes, it requires particular attention and knowledge, and there is difficulty in identifying it. Our contribution aims to illustrate the scientific community pathological findings, medical history, and circumstantial evidence of four cases of sudden death in epileptic subjects.MethodWe illustrated four cases of judicial autopsies from the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Palermo, Italy; the purpose was to exclude the criminal intervention in determining the death as non-natural. The study of victims’ medical history, the toxicological investigations, and the autopsy findings analyzed both from macroscopic and microscopic aspects have made it possible to highlight some findings that can be traced back to SUDEP despite the small sample of subjects studied.ResultsThese presented findings of four SUDEP cases could help forensic pathologists in recognizing this entity, by highlighting its characteristics, and allowing for a pathological classification, also in relation to the use of drugs for epilepsy treatment and circumstances of death.DiscussionTo obtain a definite diagnosis of SUDEP, a complex investigation process is required in a multidisciplinary approach. Considering the literature review with criticism, it could allow health professionals to select the characteristics of epileptic patients at risk of sudden death. Processing human behaviors, molecular and histopathological findings of the autopsies, but also the physiological, and pathological human body system functions thanks to Artificial Intelligence, could be the key to explaining SUDEP mechanisms and the future results to prevent it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:34:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ce0425f5add4d29a390bd497f89ed0b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T02:34:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ce0425f5add4d29a390bd497f89ed0b2023-06-29T09:26:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952023-06-011410.3389/fneur.2023.12315151231515The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable eventsAntonina Argo0Maria Puntarello1Ginevra Malta2Roberto Buscemi3Giovanni Scalzo4Valentina Triolo5Giuseppe Davide Albano6Stefania Zerbo7Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyPoliclinic Hospital, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyIntroductionThe diagnosis of unexpected death by excluding non-natural causes, particularly in subjects with epilepsy, is a topic of interest and it is difficult to identify in the forensic field. Health professionals sometimes are faced with cases of sudden death, generally in young adults with a long history of epilepsy that require, for judicial purposes, an explanation in terms of cause and means to determine the death. SUDEP is an entity diagnosed by the exclusion of other causes that may have led to death, and then for forensic purposes, it requires particular attention and knowledge, and there is difficulty in identifying it. Our contribution aims to illustrate the scientific community pathological findings, medical history, and circumstantial evidence of four cases of sudden death in epileptic subjects.MethodWe illustrated four cases of judicial autopsies from the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Palermo, Italy; the purpose was to exclude the criminal intervention in determining the death as non-natural. The study of victims’ medical history, the toxicological investigations, and the autopsy findings analyzed both from macroscopic and microscopic aspects have made it possible to highlight some findings that can be traced back to SUDEP despite the small sample of subjects studied.ResultsThese presented findings of four SUDEP cases could help forensic pathologists in recognizing this entity, by highlighting its characteristics, and allowing for a pathological classification, also in relation to the use of drugs for epilepsy treatment and circumstances of death.DiscussionTo obtain a definite diagnosis of SUDEP, a complex investigation process is required in a multidisciplinary approach. Considering the literature review with criticism, it could allow health professionals to select the characteristics of epileptic patients at risk of sudden death. Processing human behaviors, molecular and histopathological findings of the autopsies, but also the physiological, and pathological human body system functions thanks to Artificial Intelligence, could be the key to explaining SUDEP mechanisms and the future results to prevent it.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1231515/fullSUDEPepilepsyforensicsautopsyresearchpreventable events |
| spellingShingle | Antonina Argo Maria Puntarello Ginevra Malta Roberto Buscemi Giovanni Scalzo Valentina Triolo Giuseppe Davide Albano Stefania Zerbo The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events Frontiers in Neurology SUDEP epilepsy forensics autopsy research preventable events |
| title | The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events |
| title_full | The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events |
| title_fullStr | The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events |
| title_full_unstemmed | The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events |
| title_short | The analysis of SUDEP forensic autopsies leading to preventable events |
| title_sort | analysis of sudep forensic autopsies leading to preventable events |
| topic | SUDEP epilepsy forensics autopsy research preventable events |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1231515/full |
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