Linked Life Data

15322459

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/15322459

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-8-23
pubmed:abstractText
Deaths due to falls from height are common in urban settings. At the time the body is found, it is often unclear whether the mode of death is accident, suicide, or homicide. To assess the injury pattern in fatal falls from height with special regard to criteria that might be helpful in discrimination between accident, suicide, and homicide, respectively, we reviewed 68 medicolegal autopsy cases (22 females, 46 males, age range 13-89 years) of fatal falls from height regarding demographic data, findings at the death scene, results of the postmortem examination, psychiatric history, and toxicologic findings. Among the 68 cases, there were 34 suicides, 23 accidents, and 11 unclarified cases, in 3 of which homicide was suspected. In general, suicides were from greater heights than accidents (mean height 22.7 m for suicides and 10.8 m for accidents, respectively; 79% of suicides from more than 16 m). Strikingly, severe head injuries predominantly occurred in falls from heights below 10 m (84%) and above 25 m (90%), whereas in the group of falls from 10 to 25 m, these lesions were seen less frequently (28%). Neck injuries like muscle bleeds and fractures of the hyoid bone were found in 33% of falls from more than 10 m and did not occur from less than 10 m. Our data stress that the evaluation of pathologic features alone is not sufficient to assess the mode of death in fatal falls from height. Instead, postmortem findings have to be considered within the framework of the subject's social, medical, and psychiatric history in conjunction with findings at the death scene and toxicology results to obtain the clearest possible picture of the circumstances of death.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0195-7910
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
25
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
194-9
pubmed:dateRevised
2011-2-2
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Pathologic features of fatal falls from height.
pubmed:affiliation
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany. lisatue@gmx.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article