Relaxin

 

     Relaxin was first discovered by Frederick Hisaw, an American Endocrinologist.

1926 – Discovery of Relaxin:

While studying reproduction in guinea pigs and rabbits, Hisaw noticed that serum from pregnant animals caused relaxation of the pubic ligaments in virgin guinea pigs.

He named this hormone “relaxin”, marking a landmark discovery in reproductive endocrinology

.He was among the early scientists who demonstrated how hormones influence structural changes in tissues (e.g., ligament relaxation, uterine function).

                                           Relaxin: One of the six key hormones in pregnancy

1989: The human relaxin gene (H1) was cloned. Later, several related genes (H2, H3, etc.) were identified, showing that relaxin belongs to the insulin/relaxin peptide family.

1990s: Relaxin receptors (RXFP1, RXFP2) were discovered, clarifying its wide-ranging effects beyond pregnancy.

                                                                        Current Events 

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Post Mortem Findings In Cocaine

                                                                            Cocaine 

Medical Complications Of Cocaine 

Post Mortem Findings 

Cocaine 

Autopsy Features

 There are no specific findings at autopsy, except for nasal septal ulceration and perforation if the deceased had been a long-term abuser of cocaine. Histological study of nasal septal mucosa in such cases may reveal characteristic changes including arteriolar thickening, increased perivascular deposition of collagen and glycoprotein, and chronic inflammatory cellular infiltration.

Histopathology of heart may demonstrate microfocal lymphocytic infiltrates, acute coronary thrombosis, early coagulation necrosis of myocardial fibres, and non atherosclerotic coronary obstruction due to intimal proliferation.

Cocaine can be recovered by sampling from recent injection sites, or by swabs from the nasal mucosa. It can also be recovered from the liver and especially brain, where cocaine may be found not only in dopamine-rich areas such as caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. 

Cocaine: Myocardial Infarction

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Balloon Lungs

                                                                        Opioids 

Opioids In Medicine 

Fatal Dose Of Opioids 

Opioid Poisoning 

Post Mortem Findings: Opioid Poisoning 

 

Gross pulmonary oedema with froth exuding out of mouth and nostrils, especially in sudden heroin-related death. 

Pulmonary Edema

Lungs:

• Marked pulmonary edema, lungs heavy and congested (“congested balloon lungs”).

• Frothy fluid in bronchi, trachea, and airways.

Balloon Lungs

Brain: Cerebral oedema

• Cerebral edema and congestion.

• Sometimes petechial hemorrhages.

Current Events 

Snapshot

Respiratory depression → Hypoxia → Cardiorespiratory Arrest.

Post Mortem 

Pin-point pupils + froth at mouth + pulmonary edema 

International Overdose Awareness Day

 

                                                     Substances Used For Drug Addiction 

                                          Drug Induced Deaths Per Million Of Population, 2022

• The United States has the highest rate of overdose deaths in the world, with more than 100,000 Americans dying by overdose in 2023, according to provisional CDC data

Current Events 

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Burn

 

Temperature and Duration of contact determine the depth and severity of a burn.

44 °C (111 °F) is often cited as the minimum temperature at which burns can begin to occur if the skin is exposed long enough.

                                                              Estimation Of Burns 

Sir A. B. Wallace, a British surgeon, in 1951 as a simple bedside tool to rapidly estimate burn surface area in adults

                                                              Alexander Burns Wallace 

                                                                           Rule Of 9

 The Rule of 9 became widely adopted in burn units and emergency medicine because it balanced speed with reasonable accuracy

Wallace Rule Of 9 For Adults 

Lund And Browder For Children 

The chart was introduced by Charles Lund and Newton Browder, two American plastic surgeons.

They published it in the Annals of Surgery (1944) in their paper “The estimation of areas of burns”.

Their work was based on studying body surface area proportions across different ages.

Death In Burns And Body Surface Area 

A 40-year-old with 60% burns → score 100 → ~100% mortality (classic teaching)

Pathophysiology Of Burns 

Cause Of Death In Burns 

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