1,721,037 research outputs found
Patterned bruising indicating a complete renal artery transection in a fatal occupational accident
No full textBlunt renal artery injury (BRAI) is a rare finding with incidence ranging from 0.05% to 0.08% among blunt abdominal trauma patients. BRAI occurs in 1% to 4% of patients with renal injury, and the most common cause is motor vehicle accidents. An unusual case of BRAI in a 47-year-old man at work is reported. The victim accidentally fell from a scaffold (approximately 3 m in height). He was transported to the hospital where he was intubated, but he died after 30 min despite the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Surveillance cameras showed the man falling from the scaffold, but his impact with the ground was not captured. At autopsy, except for an oval bruise on the left hypochondrium, no external injury was found. The same mark was noticed on the shirt worn by the victim. Bilateral ribs fractures were found. The abdominal cavity was filled with 2 l of fresh blood and clots as a consequence of a complete transection of the left renal artery. Investigation of the workplace revealed a partial footprint on the external side of the scaffold, matching shoes worn by the victim. On the ground, a metallic pedestrian gate with a 1 m high post was found placed just below the scaffold. It was concluded that the man hit the gate’s post as intermediate impact after the fall, which caused the oval bruise, ribs fractures, and the rupture of the left renal artery without injury of the internal organs
Electrocution by arcing: A nonfatal case study
No full textAccidental electrocution during working activities account for a considerable amount of morbidity and mortality. Workers often misjudge the danger of electric wires or high-tension power cables, thereby exposing themselves to electrocution hazard. This article describes a nonfatal case of injuries by arcing from high-tension power-line cables involving a young farmer who was thrashing an olive tree by means of aluminum ladder. The circumstances surrounding the manner of electrocution and the features of electric injuries are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2011 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Body length estimation during the post mortem interval: Preliminary study
Full text linkPurpose. Body height represents an essential parameter in forensic cases. Moreover, the evaluation of stature could be helpful also in malpractice lawsuits. The reliability of cadaver length can be influenced by several factors and the difficulties in obtaining data upon precise living stature are well-known. Methods. We prospectively evaluated 100 cadavers. The cadavers were admitted to the mortuary within 2 hours of death. The body length was measured using a portable stadiometer, in three different post-mortem intervals: within the first 2 hours (T0), at 4-6 hours (T1) and after 20-24 hours (T2). Results. Showed that at T1 there was a lengthening of the cadaver by almost 1 cm while there was a small decrease in the following hours. Thus, we can state that nearly 24 hours postmortem cadaver length increases slightly (0.6 cm) from the measurement taken 2 hours postmortem, and this is very close to the estimated living height. Conclusion. Variation of body size during post mortem interval has not been fully explored despite its important implication in forensics. The findings here observed, even considering the limitation exposed in the study, do not support the theory that there is a great difference in cadaver stature postmortem
Post-mortem routine practice in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textAt the beginning of March 2020 in a small town in Apulia (Southern Italy), a funeral ceremony for a 74-year-old man hit the news headlines because many people who attended the religious ceremony were subsequently found to be infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Community transmission of the virus was attributed to the forensic pathologist who performed the routine post-mortem inspection of the man's body. The decedent died in his own home of natural causes. In the background history, the decedent reported that he was in Northern Italy during the initial outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Diagnostic testing for detection of SARS-CoV-2 was performed before his death, but the forensic pathologist did not wait for the laboratory results and authorized a public funeral service. Two days later, the decedent's relatives were informed that they had tested positive for COVID-19 infection
Un caso estremo di violenza familiare su un minore
No full textAn estreme case of family violence on a child.
Marianna is a child dead by hardships. The case, apparently
far from nursing daily practice, is the occasion for reflecting
how often the nursing profession witnesses situations at
risk of remaining invisible unless somebody decides to take
them on collecting data, reporting signals, carefully observing
Suicidal cut-throat and stab fatalities: Three case reports
No full textFatalities resulting from sharp force injuries may be of accidental, homicidal or suicidal origin. Cut-throat and cut-stab wounds are "effective" in homicidal attacks with sharp objects, e. g. knifes, while accidental injuries in this topographic region caused by sharp objects are rarely seen and most often caused by broken glass. Self-inflicted cut throat and stab wounds are uncommon but nevertheless a well recognized method of suicide. In these cases, presence or absence of particular features (e.g., hesitation marks, defensive wounds) can allow distinction between suicide and homicide, especially if further circumstances, i.e. atypical crime scene scenarios or missing suicide notes, need the forensic pathologist to have an incredulous approach regarding the manner of death. The present article describes three cases of suicidal cut throat and stab wounds - crime scene investigations as well as medical history and autopsy findings are discussed. © 2011 Romanian Society of Legal Medicine
Radiological and forensic medicine aspects of traumatic injuries in child abuse
No full textChild abuse is a topical issue in modern society and has social and medical implications which directly concern the doctor, both as a private citizen and as a health professional. Abuse injuries can be of very different types, e.g. physical, psychological or sexual. Hence they require a multidisciplinary and multispecialty approach, which must begin with an accurate medical examination, conducted in compliance with the lege artis principles and with respect for the victim's dignity. Diagnostic imaging becomes essential, together with epicrisis, which is useful to distinguish between accidental and abusive injuries. This paper describes the radiologist's key role in identifying physical injuries due to child abuse, in accordance with current regulations. © Springer-Verlag 2009
A case of intrauterine lethal fetal injury after attempted suicide of the mother
No full textTraumatic injuries in pregnancy such as abdominal trauma, pelvic fractures and penetrating trauma are major causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The most common causes of trauma during pregnancy are motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults, gunshots, and burns. Pregnancy itself has been identified as a risk factor for trauma, together with a younger age, drug use, alcohol use, and domestic violence. We report the case of a 46-year-old woman, 34 weeks pregnant, who attempted suicide by jumping from a flyover, immediately after a probably deliberate traffic collision with the guardrail. She had fractures of five lumbar vertebrae and three ribs with pulmonary contusions, but was without other injuries. Following the mother's stabilization, the fetal heart tones were detected as abnormal and the patient had an emergency caesarean section delivering a still-born male infant. Neither alcohol nor drugs were found in the mother who had been diagnosed with an unspecified episodic mood disorder. She recovered completely from her injuries. At autopsy of the newborn, a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage with deformity of the skull was found, caused by maternal blunt abdominal trauma following car accident and fall. This case is an outstanding example of fetal head trauma which occurred with no life-threatening maternal injury due to attempted suicide. It is important for clinicians and forensic pathologists to have adequate knowledge and practical experience of these cases, because pregnancy is a special risk factor for self-inflicted injuries among females, with significant adverse effects on the fetus even with minor injuries to the mother
Dismemberment by a tamping machine: an unusual case of work-related accidental decapitation
No full textWe report the case of a 45-year-old railway worker who was literally decapitated during a work shift. He was working with his colleagues close to a Ballast Cleaning Machine (BCM) behind the driver. This case occurred during the night time, under artificial light that probably allowed this traumatic event. The workplace investigation revealed the victim's head and the right arm were detached from the remains of the body. Probably the cutter bar of the BCM caught his jacket and trapped him in the right arm of the machinery, cutting off his head. The external examination of the body and the following medico-legal autopsy showed excoriated streaks and de-epithelialization area on all over the body, fractures and laceration of the cervical region and of the right arm. Toxicological analyses were negative for alcohol or drug abuse. To the best of our knowledge, no other similar cases have been reported in the international literatur
Assessing chronological age of unaccompanied minors in Southern Italy
Full text linkThe increasing volume of, and subsequent complexities resulting from, migratory flows in the broader context of globalization has led to a range of problems, not only the protection of human rights and disease control but also the identification of those with the right to apply for refugee status and the age assessment of unaccompanied minors. Italy is a magnet for immigration from other countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea because the Italian coasts are within easy reach. In Italy, as in other western countries, unaccompanied asylum seekers deemed to be younger than 18 years face a very different path through the immigration system from that experienced by adults. Generally, adults are subject to immediate deportation or detention in jail. Minors are processed through the juvenile system, where detection is not mandatory; they will often have access to educational programs and may be granted a residency permit. The Section of Legal Medicine of the University of Bari was approached by immigration police authorities and judges to explore the possibility of examining unaccompanied asylum seekers, who claim do be younger than 18 years, to assess their age. A group of forensic pathologists and odontologists performed this evaluation relying on the skeletal maturation as seen on radiographs of the wrist and the pelvis for iliac crests and on an orthopantomograph, together with background information and clinical examination of each individual. Case studies are presented. This article does not attempt to give a definitive account of the different scientific methods for the assessment of age. It is important to understand some of the methods that may be used in an attempt to assess developmental maturity and from which it may be possible to ''read off'' an approximate chronological age. © 2011 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
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