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Homicidal commotio cordis in two children
1Office of the Medical Examiner of Cook County, Chicago, IL 60612-3705, USA. Yincision@aol.com
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|June 16, 2000
Summary
Deliberate chest blows to children can cause fatal commotio cordis, a sudden cardiac arrest. Investigations must prioritize accurate event histories due to subtle physical findings in these tragic cases.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Pathology
- Pediatric Cardiology
Background:
- Commotio cordis is a rare event.
- Child abuse can lead to fatal outcomes.
Observation:
- Two cases of fatal commotio cordis in young boys are presented.
- Deaths resulted from direct blows to the anterior chest with a closed fist by adults.
- Children collapsed immediately and could not be resuscitated.
Findings:
- Cardiac rhythms included ventricular fibrillation and asystole.
- Autopsies revealed chest contusions in only one case, suggesting knuckle impact.
- Confessions were obtained from perpetrators shortly after the deaths.
Implications:
- Subtle physical findings necessitate thorough investigations in suspected child abuse cases.
- Accurate historical accounts of events preceding death are critical for diagnosis and justice.
- This highlights a specific mechanism of fatal child abuse through blunt chest trauma.
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