Deaths Caused by Epidural Hemorrhage and skull base fracture Due Blunt Force Trauma

Introduction: Pneumocephalus is mainly associated with traumatic injuries, being a rare complication but with high mortality rates; it behaves like a space-occupying lesion and increases intracranial pressure. The symptoms are not specific, but in the event of trauma it is necessary to suspect this entity to carry out a timely diagnosis and treatment, since being the product of the skull base fracture it can cause communication with the outside, and the appearance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. Clinical Case: a 38-year-old male patient who suffers trauma from a pyrotechnic explosion near his right ear, when handling a pyrotechnic object (whistle) during the New Year, presenting severe pain, slight bleeding in the right ear, feeling faint and holocranial headache that increased in a standing position; likewise, he presents high-flow aqueous secretion (CSF) from the right ear. Brain and skull base tomography (CT) showed air in the intracranial cavity, fracture of the skull base, and the ossicles of the right middle ear. Conservative management was performed using rest and lumbar drainage, presenting a satisfactory evolution. Conclusion: Pneumocephalus is a frequent and expected complication of trauma with a skull base fracture. Its early and timely diagnosis using skull base CT is essential to define therapeutic measures. Accidents due to the misuse of pyrotechnics continue to be a relevant problem in our country. Knowing and disseminating its consequences can help raise awareness in the population. Keywords: Pneumocephalus, Skull Base, Intracranial Pressure, Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak. (Source: MeSH NLM)

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Patterns of blunt force homicide in the West Metropole of the City of Cape Town, South Africa

South African Journal of Science ◽

10.17159/sajs.2017/20160214 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 113 (5/6) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Courtnee Clark ◽

Calvin G. Mole ◽

Marise Heyns ◽

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...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Cape Town ◽

Future Research ◽

The West ◽

Blunt Force ◽

Blunt Force Trauma ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Salt River ◽

The City ◽

Ballistic Trauma

There is currently a lack of information regarding the prevalence of and characteristics associated with blunt force trauma related homicides in South Africa. Information relating to the patterns of blunt force trauma could assist in the development and implementation of interventions targeted at specific areas or individuals as well as direct future research towards areas in need of investigation. This study is a 5-year retrospective review of autopsy reports obtained from Salt River Mortuary (Cape Town, South Africa). The prevalence of blunt force trauma was considered for unnatural deaths with a focus on homicide. The patterns of homicidal blunt force trauma are also presented. A total of 15 519 autopsy cases was analysed. In 1198 (7.72%) of these cases, the cause of death was found to be blunt force trauma and 828 (5.32%) of these cases were classified as homicides. Approximately 11% of blunt force homicide cases occurred in combination with sharp and/or ballistic trauma. Men from poor socio-economic areas were shown to be most at risk of blunt force homicide in the City of Cape Town.

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Blunt Force Trauma

Skeletal Trauma ◽

10.1201/9781420009118.ch4 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 151-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Blunt Force ◽

Blunt Force Trauma

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Identifying Blunt Force Traumatic Injury on Thermally Altered Remains: A Pilot Study Using Sus scrofa

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology11010087 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 87

Author(s):

Kamryn Keys ◽

Ann H. Ross

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Forensic Anthropology ◽

Sus Scrofa ◽

Traumatic Injury ◽

Human Remains ◽

Fire Damage ◽

Fire Exposure ◽

Blunt Force ◽

Blunt Force Trauma ◽

Anthropological Literature

In forensic scenarios involving homicide, human remains are often exposed to fire as a means of disposal and/or obscuring identity. Burning human remains can result in the concealment of traumatic injury, the creation of artifacts resembling injury, or the destruction of preexisting trauma. Since fire exposure can greatly influence trauma preservation, methods to differentiate trauma signatures from burning artifacts are necessary to conduct forensic analyses. Specifically, in the field of forensic anthropology, criteria to distinguish trauma from fire signatures on bone is inconsistent and sparse. This study aims to supplement current forensic anthropological literature by identifying criteria found to be the most diagnostic of fire damage or blunt force trauma. Using the skulls of 11 adult pigs (Sus scrofa), blunt force trauma was manually produced using a crowbar and flat-faced hammer. Three specimens received no impacts and were utilized as controls. All skulls were relocated to an outdoor, open-air fire where they were burned until a calcined state was achieved across all samples. Results from this experiment found that blunt force trauma signatures remained after burning and were identifiable in all samples where reassociation of fragments was possible. This study concludes that distinct patterns attributed to thermal fractures and blunt force fractures are identifiable, allowing for diagnostic criteria to be narrowed down for future analyses.

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