TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mittal, Pawan
A1  - Bohnert, Michael
T1  - Intramuscular hemorrhages in the pathway of an electric current through the body - two case reports
JF  - Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
N2  - Intramuscular hemorrhages at autopsy can have a variety of traumatic as well as non-traumatic causes, but their recognition in electrical deaths is almost a rarity. We report on two autopsy cases of electrical fatalities, the first relating to a portion of the right upper human extremity, consisting (only) of the forearm and hand, while the other case relates to a female child who died after a high voltage electrical shock. In both cases, layered dissection of the upper limb revealed fresh intramuscular hemorrhages in the skeletal muscles that could be topographically related to the path taken by the current through the body. Externally visible electric marks were present in both cases. The hemorrhages were most likely caused by current-induced tetanic muscle contractions, producing an internal muscle trauma with rupture of fibers and bleedings. In complex situations, such as inconspicuous marks or a complete lack of visible signs on the body, the finding may be helpful in solving the case in consideration of the case history and circumstances. The vitality, topography, and pattern of the hemorrhages are discussed in the light of the available literature.
KW  - electrocution
KW  - layered dissection
KW  - intramuscular hemorrhage
KW  - tetany
Y1  - 2023
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-325019
VL  - 19
IS  - 1
ER  -