BONSIGNORE A.

At the present time, when COVID-19 is disproportionately affecting black people in several countries, the Henrietta Lacks centennial year reminds us of our responsibility to strive for a fairer era of research. The cells of Henrietta Lacks, which were taken without her consent, have been reproduced billions of times for medical purposes. The...

Several vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic have been licensed or approved for human use, and many more are in advanced stages of clinical development. Herd immunity is the key to a quicker exit from a health emergency. However, increasing numbers of vaccine refusals may reduce coverage rates and threaten existing herd immunity, exposing...

Before than the other health professionals, the medico-legal expert had to face the computerization of the Legal System. Over the years, even if not fully applied, innovations related to the digitalization of the trial such as the use of certified e-mail, digital signature and the Civil Telematic Process, have been introduced in the...

The authors present the results of a retrospective study on falls performed at "Policlinico" Hospital of Bari, Italy, in the period 1st March 2011-31st December 2012. A systematic approach was performed to estimate the average hospital cost and length of stay (LOS) associated with injurious falls in our hospital. Particularly, a surveillance...

The issue of the end of life and, in particular, those of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are certainly the most controversial ethical, medical and law issues with well-known news judicial cases. Within the international context, the authors analyze the ethical and legal debate in the Italian system in light of the recent ruling of...

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The profound social, ethical and juridical transformations that have invested the condition of childhood have also affected the consideration of the existential interests of the minor in the care relationship and his role in the adoption of the therapeutic choices that concern him. If the history of children's rights is recent, that of...

This article examines the significance and evolution of war-related disability throughout Italy's history. The concept of war-related disability has antique roots, with references dating back to ancient Rome, where severely wounded war veterans were entitled to social and financial assistance for their reintegration into civilian life through...

Background: Discovery of evidence of acute brain ischemia or hypoxia and its differentiation from agonal hypoxia represents a task of interest but extremely difficult in forensic neuropathology. Generally, more than 50% of forensic autopsies indicate evidence of brain induced functional arrest of the organ system, which can be the result of a...

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), more commonly known as "ecstasy," is a semi-synthetic entactogenic phenylethylamine. In recent years it has gained popularity as a recreational drug whose use has registered an upward trend especially among adolescents and young adults. Despite its unwarranted reputation of being a "safe" drug, the...

Recent legal developments regarding the reorganization of and accreditation processes for specialization schools in the healthcare sector has led to a profound didactic transformation that has brought inevitable repercussions on the activities and training of post-graduate doctors. The National Board of Young Medico-legal Experts in Italy...

A recent Italian legal matter has raised the issue of fetal burial together with respect for maternal privacy and consent. Although the case was closed with a dismissal after the Public Prosecutor's request, it nevertheless raises important reflections on the issues of the moral value of the embryo, the mourning to be recognized to fetal death...

The recent reform of the organization of Ethics Committees in Italy is linked with the complex issue of end-of-life decisions. Starting from a reconstruction of the history and purpose of Ethics Committees, the article aims to provide an overview of the legislation and its evolution, and to highlight some questions that have not yet been fully...

In forensic practice, it is not always easy to determine whether a person has died from strangulation. The recommended physical examination includes a thorough inspection of the head, neck, oral cavity, and eyes. Ligature marks are sometimes absent or poorly delineated, especially when soft devices are used. Otorrhagia is poorly described in...

Background and objectives: In order to increase the accuracy of lytic lesion detection in multiple myeloma, a dedicated second-opinion interpretation of medical images performed by subspecialty musculoskeletal radiologists could increase accuracy. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the added value (increased accuracy) of...

Background. On 22 December 2017, Law No. 219 was approved in Italy entitled "Provisions on informed consent and advance treatment directives". This article reports the results from a survey of the knowledge of medico-legal experts in Italy on these provisions, in addition to the ability of university health-care facilities in Italy to implement...

As the results of genetic testing can provide important information on disease risk, healthcare facilities and professionals are increasingly being asked to provide genetic information of deceased individuals. In such circumstances, the right to confidentiality of the deceased and the right of third parties to access genetic information need to...

The authors analyse the suicidal phenomenon on the basis of the records collected at the Departmental Section of Legal Medicine, University of Genova, in the five-year period 2006-2010. Several variables (gender, age, mode, location and season of suicide) have been compared not only with previous researches performed in the same area but also...

Italy continues to legislate on the donation of one's body and post-mortem tissues for the purposes of study, education, and scientific research. With the new Regulation n. 47 dated February 10, 2023, specific rules have been established regarding the activities of research centers, the procedures for receiving bodies, and the criteria for...

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Sudden death due to massive hemorrhage after a mini-invasive ambulatory diagnostic procedure is extremely rare. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules is very safe, displaying a low rate of complications, all of which mild and often self-limiting. In few cases do these complications necessitate surgical decompression, and rarely does...