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Explosion-related deaths: An overview on forensic evaluation and implications.
Nicola Galante1, Lorenzo Franceschetti2, Sara Del Sordo2
1Dipartimento Di Scienze Biomediche Per La Salute, Sezione Di Medicina Legale E Delle Assicurazioni, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 37, 20133, Milano, MI, Italy. nicola.galante@unimi.it.
Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology
|July 1, 2021
Summary
This study details forensic analysis for explosion deaths, offering a protocol and five scenarios to improve accuracy in death investigations. It emphasizes multidisciplinary collaboration for effective explosion-related fatality examination.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Pathology
- Explosion Investigation
Background:
- Explosion-related deaths are rare and demand specialized expertise for accurate investigation.
- Effective death investigation requires a thorough understanding of explosion dynamics and forensic principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a detailed forensic analysis of issues and implications in explosion-related deaths.
- To present a comprehensive study protocol for investigating fatalities resulting from explosions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of casualty data from electronic literature databases.
- Analysis of cases involving deadly explosions from the Milan Institute of Legal Medicine.
- Development of a study protocol based on autopsy procedures, incorporating postmortem radiology, histopathology, and other forensic disciplines.
Main Results:
- Explosion investigations require site security assessment and adaptation to environmental changes due to rescue operations.
- Postmortem radiology aids in analyzing blast injuries, fractures, and identification.
- Blast injuries commonly affect lungs, intestines, and major vessels; hyoid fractures may occur. Histopathology, chemistry, toxicology, ballistics, anthropology, and genetics provide crucial evidence.
- Five distinct scenarios (self-inflicted, domestic, work-related, terrorist, accidental) are presented for forensic pathologists.
Conclusions:
- The presented scenarios serve as a valuable tool to prevent misinterpretations and errors in explosion death investigations.
- Procedural notes and technical aspects are provided to enhance forensic investigation of explosions.
- Collaboration among forensic experts is crucial for comprehensive analysis.
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