Petr Handlos1,2,3, Marek Dokoupil1,2, Marie Staňková1,2, Marek Joukal3, Igor Dvořáček1,2, Matěj Uvíra1, Margita Smatanová4,5. 1. Forensic Medicine, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52, Ostrava, Czech Republic. 2. Department of Intensive Medicine and Forensic Studies, University of Ostrava, 703 00, Ostrava, Czech Republic. 3. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic. 4. Forensic Medicine, University Hospital Ostrava, 708 52, Ostrava, Czech Republic. margita.smatanova@fno.cz. 5. Department of Intensive Medicine and Forensic Studies, University of Ostrava, 703 00, Ostrava, Czech Republic. margita.smatanova@fno.cz.
Abstract
PURPOSE: In this paper we present a case report of two people who were found dead in a holiday cottage after a fire. The cause of death in these cases was clarified by the presence of blood in the left pleural cavity in both bodies. METHODS: An inspection of the bodies at the scene of the fire and subsequent examination by a medical examiner suggested the deaths were accidental. RESULTS: An autopsy showed that the bodies were those of a man and a woman with severe carbonization of the skin, soft tissues, brain, and some organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities. There were also isolated stab injuries to the chest, as well as injuries to skeletal structures and intrathoracic organs. The accumulated blood in the pleural cavity had protected the internal organs against thermal destruction and preserved the traumatic findings. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge this is the first description of the protective effect of hemothorax against thermal damage of the intrathoracic organs.
PURPOSE: In this paper we present a case report of two people who were found dead in a holiday cottage after a fire. The cause of death in these cases was clarified by the presence of blood in the left pleural cavity in both bodies. METHODS: An inspection of the bodies at the scene of the fire and subsequent examination by a medical examiner suggested the deaths were accidental. RESULTS: An autopsy showed that the bodies were those of a man and a woman with severe carbonization of the skin, soft tissues, brain, and some organs of the thoracic and abdominal cavities. There were also isolated stab injuries to the chest, as well as injuries to skeletal structures and intrathoracic organs. The accumulated blood in the pleural cavity had protected the internal organs against thermal destruction and preserved the traumatic findings. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge this is the first description of the protective effect of hemothorax against thermal damage of the intrathoracic organs.
Authors: Ali Rıza Tümer; Ramazan Akçan; Emre Karacaoğlu; Aysun Balseven-Odabaşı; Alper Keten; Ciğdem Kanburoğlu; Melih Unal; Ahmet Hakan Dinç Journal: J Forensic Leg Med Date: 2012-02-02 Impact factor: 1.614