PNEUMO-THORAX INVESTIGATION IN BLUNT CHEST TRAUMAS

Sari H, Koc S, Asirdizer M, Albek E, Kolusayin O.

Journal of Forensic Medicine (Turkish), 1996; 12 (1-4): 27-34.

ABSTRACT

Haemo-and pneumo-thorax occur as a complication of blunt chest trauma frequently leads to death. Whilst the extent of bleeding that causes death can be determined without difficulty during autopsy, its contributory role in the lethal outcome remains obscure if pneumo-thorax investigation is not carried out at the beginning of the postmortem examination. This is of paramount importance with regard to the elucidation of the mechanism of death in cases where visceral trauma and internal hemorrhage is of limited extent.

The presence of pneumo-thorax can be shown in cases of blunt chest trauma if putrefaction has not yet commenced.

In the present study pneumo-thorax investigation in 100 cases of non-penetrating blunt chest trauma revealed positive results in 35 and negative cues in 65 instances, respectively. Traffic accidents and falls from height constituted the majority of the cases; the test was positive in 34, 28 % of traffic accidents and in 48, 37 % of cases of fail from height. These positive cases presented with the following findings: rib fractures in 29 (82.85 %), haemo-thorax in 26 (74, 28 %), laceration of lungs in 26 (74, 28 %) and sternal fracture in 5 (14, 28 %) cases.

Cases with a postmortem interval longer than 48 hours as well as those with advanced putrefaction were excluded from the study; remarkably, in 4 of 10 such cases used as the control group, the test yielded positive results.

Key words: blunt chest trauma, qualitative pneumo-thorax investigation, medico-legal autopsy.