jiafm-35-1 - forensic medicine

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70 … Brought … Within … Within … 1-2 days 3-4 days 5-6 days 7-8 days 9-10 days > 10 days 10-20% 20-30% 30-40% 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% 90-… J Indian Acad Forensic Med. Jan-March 2013, Vol. 35, No. 1 ISSN 0971-0973 cure. Effective prevention requires a thorough understanding of the major risk factors. [9] The government needs to concentrate in this direction and the NGOs, social groups, including the doctors need to put in more sincere effort. The government must appoint more doctors in the burn units. The NGOs and social groups must arrange a periodic effort in educating the rural peoples. Steps should be taken not only to minimize burn mortality but also to prevent and reduce their incidence at least in cases where human errors and human greed plays a role. References: 1. Buchade D, Kukde H, Dere R, Savardekar R. Pattern of Burn Cases Brought oo Morgue, Sion Hospital Mumbai, A Two Year Study, Indian Academy Of Forensic Medicine, 2011 Dec, 33(4), 309-310. 2. Camps Francis E., Robinson Ann E., Lucas Bernard G.B. ‘Heat, cold and Electricity’, Gradwohl’s Legal Medicine, 1976, 3 rd ed., John Wright & Sons Ltd, Bristol. 3. Das. K.C. “A study of burn cases in medico-legal autopsy” MD thesis, 1998; Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India. 4. Modi N.J. ‘Burns and Scalds’, Modi’s Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, 2009, 23 rd ed, LexisNexis-Butterworth’s Wadhwa, Nagpur, p 629. 5. Mukherjee J. B. Injury and its Medico-legal aspects, 2007, 3 rd ed, Karmakar R.N., Academic publisher, p591. 6. Nandy Apurba. ‛Thermal injuries’, Principles of Forensic Medicine, 2002, 2 nd Ed, New Central Book Agency (p) Ltd.p263. 7. Nath, D. “A statistical study of pattern of ante mortem burn injuries” MD thesis, 2007; Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India. 8. Pillay V. V. ‘Injuries due to Heat, Lightening, Electrocution and 9. Reddy K. S. N. ‘Thermal Deaths’, The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 2009, 29 th ed, Devi K. Suguna, Hyderabad, p283. 10. Shapiro H.A., Gordon I. Burns and Scalds, Forensic Medicine A Guide to Principles, 1975, 1 st ed., Churchill Livingstone, p 322. 11. Saukko Pekka, Knight Bernard. Burns and Scalds, Knight’s Forensic Pathology, 2004, 3 rd ed, Oxford University Press Inc, New York, p322. 12. Singh P, Harish D. Incidence of Post Burn Septicaemia in A Tertiary Care Hospital, Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine, 2011 Dec, 33(4), 317-320. 13. Van Rijn. J.L. Olga, Bouter. L.M., Meertens R.M. The aetiology of burns in developed countries, 1989[4], available from www. Aetiology of burn injuries. Com. 14. Vij Krishan. “Thermal Deaths”, Text Book of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 2008; 5 th ed, Elsevier, A Division Of Reed Elsevier India Pvt. Ltd.p159. Graph 1: Age 100 50 0 3 10 Graph 2: Sex: 56 100 37 18 11 62 3 4 Male Graph 3: Religion 192 Graph 4: Manner of Injury Graph 5: Body Surface Area Involved 60 40 20 0 Graph 6: Soot Particles in the Trachea Graph 7: Cause of Death Graph 8: Survival Period 60 40 20 0 150 100 50 0 50 Hindu 5% 95% 0 6 17 28 42 35 29 41 45 197 45 58 62 122 30 34 46 4 50 2 10 24 17 11 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 17 0 16 20 1 Muslim Accidental Suicidal SP in trachea Not found Shock Exhaustion Septicaemia 180 Female 46
Height (Y) J Indian Acad Forensic Med. Jan-March 2013, Vol. 35, No. 1 ISSN 0971-0973 *J.V.Kiran Kumar, **A.K. Srivastava Original Research Paper Pattern of Injuries in fall from Height Abstract The cases of fall from height are now becoming more common due to multi-storeyed culture in urban population. In this study of fatal cases of fall from heights majority of falls are of males, in age group 21-50 years, from terrace and balcony due to lack of appropriate fencing. Most of the deaths are accidental and consumption of alcohol is a major predisposing factor. In majority cases body was found within 2 meters from the base of the building. In one unique case the body was found 8 meters away from the building in which the person jumped from the terrace while running to escape from the police. As in such case, if a person jumps after a pre-running there will be an associated initial velocity at the moment of take-off, which can be calculated from vertical height and horizontal distance by using the formula, v o = (gx 2 /2(x.sinθ - y cosθ) cosθ) 1/2 .Though such cases are not very common but when a pre-running before a jump is present, determination of initial velocity is definitive of an intentional act of the person. Key Words: Height of fall, Initial velocity, Horizontal distance, Cranio-cerebral damage Introduction: The pattern of injuries in cases of falls from heights is dependent on the height, body weight, velocity, nature of surface impacted, orientation of body at the moment of impact and the elasticity and viscosity of tissue of the contact body region, out of which height of fall is the major determining factor. [2] As a person falls from height, the Kinetic energy keeps on increasing due to acceleration during the fall and is maximum at the moment of impact. This amount of kinetic energy is transferred to the body of the person at the moment of impact causing injuries. (Fig. 1) Hence the severity of injuries is dependent on the height of fall. Initial velocity can be calculated from the height and horizontal movement in the falling case at various speculative angles by the formula “v o = (gx2/2(x.sinθ - y cosθ) cosθ) 1/2” . In a study it was found that an initial velocity between 2.70 and 9.15m/s supports a jumping activity with pre-running assistance before the jump. [2] Hence, a falling fatality with an initial velocity exceeding 2.70m/s should not be mistaken for accidental or homicidal cause of death. Corresponding Author: *Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine Subharti Medical College, Meerut UP, 250005 E-mail: nsvl_kumar@yahoo.com ** Prof & Head DOR:31.7.12 DOA:9.2.13 Figure 1: [1] Jumping point Vy Vo X1/2 X1/2 X1(t1) X2(t2) Distance of horizontal movement (X) Determination of the anatomical site which first impacts the ground (the primary site of impact) is useful in reconstruction of the event. In this study, an attempt has been made to determine the site of primary impact and the manner of death from the pattern of injuries. Material and Methods: The material of present study is 30 cases of deaths due to fall from height, brought over a period of one year to the Mortuary, Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College and associated hospitals, New Delhi for medico legal autopsy. Information regarding case details including the height of fall and location of body from the base of the building (horizontal distance) was obtained from police inquest papers, by interview of the police officer, and relatives and friends accompanying the dead body. The height of fall and the horizontal distance were confirmed by measuring these Vx 47
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