The HIV-associated diseases encountered in the practice of forensic medical autopsies

Abstract

The present article deals with the problems pertaining to the forensic medical diagnostics of the HIV-associated pathological conditions taking into consideration the materials available from the Moscow City Centre for AIDS Prophylaxis and Control with special reference to the number and structure of the diagnosed HIV-associated diseases. We undertook the analysis of co-morbid HIV/AIDS causes of violent and sudden deaths documented at the Bureau of Forensic Medical Expertise of the Moscow Health Department during the period from 2013 till 2016. The study revealed the tendency toward a rise in the number of deaths from the HIV-associated infections including tuberculosis, pneumonias, chronic immunodeficiency conditions refractory to the treatment, and from malignant neoplasms. A peculiar feature of the aforementioned period was the increased age of the deceased subjects. In the cases of violent deaths, the HIV-associated conditions were diagnosed as the concomitant diseases, with the markedly predominant ones being acute drug and alcohol intoxication, injures, and attempts at suicide. The available results of the studies give evidence of the necessity and importance of the cooperative work of the specialists for the further improvement of forensic medical diagnostics and monitoring of HIV-associated conditions.