Medicine
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This repository contains the published and unpublished research of the Faculty of Medicine by the staff members of the faculty
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Item A retrospective descriptive study on homicides and injuries to the lower extremities(Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Paranitharan, P.; Abeyrathna, A.A.R.M.; Mendis, H.K.N.L.P.; Perera, W.N.S.BACKGROUND: Homicidal deaths result from various causes and usually involve fatal injuries. The lower extremities may sustain injuries due to an assault, fall and in some instances due to self-defense. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the study was to describe the different types of injuries sustained by the lower extremities following homicidal deaths and analyze the different injuries and injury patterns sustained. METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive study. Sixty eight homicidal deaths from the case load of the investigators for the past fifteen years were documented based on a pro-forma. The data was analyzed using a SPSS statistical package. RESULTS: Sharp force (38.2%), firearm (38.2%), blunt force (11.8%) and asphyxia (8.8%) were the main modes of homicide. In 50% of cases, the lower extremities were not involved and the rest were with either involvement of single (36.8%) or both extremities (13.2%). The lower extremities alone was involved on one occasion. In majority of instances, the injuries were sustained as a combination with other parts of the body such as upper and lower extremities (13.24%), head and lower extremities (13.24%) and chest and lower extremities (10.29%). In the lower extremities most of the injuries were on the region of thighs: right 47.83% and left 30.00%. A higher proportion (48.84%) of injuries were abrasions. CONCLUSIONS: The lower extremities were involved in 50% of the homicidal deaths. In most instances the thigh was involved. Assaults (45.16%) and falls (32.26%) were the main causes of trauma for lower extremities.Item Elder abuse among out patient department attendees in a tertiary hospital(Sri Lanka Medical Association, 2009) Edirisinghe, P.A.S.; Paranitharan, P.; Perera, W.N.S.; Shehan, W.BACKGROUND: Abuse of older people is a hidden problem in society. Older people are frightened or embarrassed to report its presence. The extent of the problem is not studied adequately in Sri Lanka. METHODS: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at the North Colombo Teaching Hospital, outpatient department on 530 consecutive adults over 60 years of age. The Hwalek-Sengstock Elder abuse screening test which was assessed for face validity and content validity among 50 older persons and modified, was used for data collection along with a brief demographic questionnaire. Those with a mini-mental state examination score of 23 or less were excluded from the study. Data was collected by trained medical officers after informed written consent from the subjects. Confidentiality of the information provided was assured. RESULTS: 348 females (65%) and 182 males (35%) were included in the study. The mean age was 68.5 years. 26 (5.6%) reported physical abuse of whom 14 (2.6%) had been struck, slapped or kicked and five had received medical attention for injuries. Three had made a Police complaint. Up to 136 (25%) had perceived emotional abuse. 53 (10%) had experienced derogatory remarks and 12 (2. 3%) had been threatened with punishment and institutionalisation. 20 (3.7%) claimed neglect and 116 (22%) claimed their caregiver was financially dependent on them. There was no significant difference among the sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Physical, emotional and financial abuse of elders is present in our study population. The numbers although small, may represent only the tip of the iceberg.Item A Study on detainees: effects of war on health and rights(2013) Warushahennadi, J.; Perera, W.N.S.; Paranitharan, P.The recently concluded 'war' in Sri Lanka has cost thousands of lives and disabled many people. A proportion of the disabled people and some able men and women are still languishing in detention centers awaiting retribution for their suspected crimes. Since most of them are “hardcore LTTE cadres”, 'human rights' activists keep continuous vigil on them to see whether they are maltreated. Medico-legal examinations are routinely performed on them in the following occasions, immediately after taking into custody, prior to release into the community and before and after confession. A retrospective study was carried out on 50 cases by reviewing Medico Legal documents of detainees who have been referred for medico legal examination. Out of 50 cases analyzed majority (98%) of the detainees were young males with mean age of 35 ½ years and from the Northern Province. Most of them had participated in war (74%) and having consequences of war related injuries. 94 % of them were detained for more than 3 months in the detention camp and almost all of them didn't declare ill treatment during their detention. There were no convicted individuals in the sample population. There are severe effects of war injuries on detainees such as amputated extremities (4%), post traumatic epilepsy (10%) and multiple scars following shrapnel or firearm injuries (58%). They do not complain on mal treatment while in detention. However due process of trial is needed as early as possible to safeguard their rights.Item Do the print media help the medical science? An analysis of forensic related contents in newspaper articles(2012) Paranitharan, P.; Perera, W.N.S.; Ranantunge, I.D.J.; Ratnayake, W.R.A.D.T.D.General public get a considerable amount of information about medical science related topics from the media. Communicating with the public through the media can be vexing for medical professionals because they lack direct control over the final reporting1.It is the reporter's view of the information and his or her words that reach the public, rather than the scientist's or the clinician's. Moreover, there is a mismatch between the expectations of the scientist and those of the reporter. Scientists expect journalists to share their concern with scientific norms relating to the provisional nature of scientific knowledge and recognition of the collegial nature of scientific endeavour2. However sub specialty such as in forensics there are diverse concerns about published material in the print media. Issues are more or less the same in other specialties as well.Item A Maternal death due to an illegal abortion(Faculty of Medicine,University of Peradeniya, 2011) Perera, W.N.S.; Paranitharan, P.Item Sri Lankan children: are we providing a child friendly forensic service?(Faculty of Medicine,University of Peradeniya, 2011) Paranitharan, P.; Perera, W.N.S.