The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology
-
Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Mar 2000
Case ReportsCharacteristics of child abuse by anteroposterior manual compression versus cardiopulmonary resuscitation: case reports.
Lethal and sublethal injuries to infants caused by anteroposterior manual compression can be accompanied by lateral rib fractures, hemorrhage into the viscera, and when severe, rupture of large vessels and solid organs. Abusers may claim that these injuries were sustained in an attempt to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The difference between injuries caused by CPR and injuries caused by inflicted anteroposterior compression is examined in one sublethal and two lethal cases.
-
Am J Forensic Med Pathol · Mar 2000
Case ReportsAsphyxial death during prone restraint revisited: a report of 21 cases.
Determining the cause of death when a restrained person suddenly dies is a problem for death investigators. Twenty-one cases of death during prone restraint are reported as examples of the common elements and range of variation in these apparently asphyxial events. ⋯ Common elements in this syndrome include prone restraint with pressure on the upper torso; handcuffing, leg restraint, or hogtying; acute psychosis and agitation, often stimulant drug induced; physical exertion and struggle; and obesity. Establishing a temporal association between the restraint and the sudden loss of consciousness/death is critical to making a correct determination of cause of death.