The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
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Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Mar 1997
Practice Guideline Case Reports GuidelineCriteria for the diagnosis of heat-related deaths: National Association of Medical Examiners. Position paper. National Association of Medical Examiners Ad Hoc Committee on the Definition of Heat-Related Fatalities.
The National Association of Medical Examiners Ad Hoc Committee on the Definition of Heat-Related Fatalities recommends the following definition of "heat-related death": a death in which exposure to high ambient temperature either caused the death or significantly contributed to it. The committee also recommends that the diagnosis of heat-related death be based on a history of exposure to high ambient temperature and the reasonable exclusion of other causes of hyperthermia. ⋯ Deaths may also be certified as heat stroke or hyperthermia with lower body temperatures when cooling has been attempted prior to arrival at the hospital and/or when there is a clinical history of mental status changes and elevated liver and muscle enzymes. In cases where the antemortem body temperature cannot be established but the environmental temperature at the time of collapse was high, an appropriate heat-related diagnosis should be listed as the cause of death or as a significant contributing condition.
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Experimental gunshots were made with Action-1 and -3 ammunition (9 mm Luger) using a part dummy made of textile, pig skin, and gelatine as the target. After ricocheting off a concrete floor tile with impact angles of 15 degrees or 20 degrees, the deformed projectiles penetrated the gelatine block to a depth of between 21 and 37 cm. The ricochet angles varied between 5 degrees and 11 degrees. ⋯ The Action-3 brass bullet was more resistant, had more kinetic energy, and was less deformed than the Action-1 copper bullet. The morphology of the wounds presented a very varied spectrum; round lesions were also observed. The results of the experimental study prove that ricocheted Action bullets present a serious risk of injury.