Background Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provides a significant increase in survival rate, even if performed by bystanders. However, bystanders may refrain from performing CPR for fear of eventual malpractice litigation. Currently lack Guidelines specifying whether a particular CPR-related complication is in all likelihood unavoidable or not. To fulfill this gap a great number of studies is required to be published in the most relevant leading academic literature. This paper aims at making a contribution to addressing such a challenge. Methods A retrospective observational study based on forensic autopsy material aiming at recording injuries resulting from the application of CPR. The severity of injuries was forensically evaluated. Results Out of 88 cases autopsied, only 26.7% had rib fractures (only 20% of which were located in the 6 lower ribs), 17.4% had sternal fractures (85.7% of which were detected in the body of the sternum and 14.3% in the manubrium). The ratio of sternal fractures to rib fractures is similar to the ratio cited in other studies reported in the literature (2:3, approximately). The number of fractures was 7.86 (4.11 on the right side and 4.75 on the left side). 16% of the cases were found to be mild, 48% were moderate, and 35% of the cases were severe. When a physician was present, a (not statistically significant) trend towards more severe complications was found. Conclusion The findings are in accordance with other similar studies reported in the literature referring to the classic external CPR. This study offers a proposal aiming at making a contribution to develop Guidelines specifying whether a particular CPR-related complication is in all likelihood unavoidable or not.

The aim of this study was to examine how often myocardial infarction in abruptly dying persons with or without known coronary heart disease could be found as well as to estimate the severity of atheromatosis in correlation to gender and age. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was designed using data from clinical records of 184 cases of adults who submitted with sudden death and underwent autopsy during a period of one year. We studied the demographic characteristics, season and location of death. Symptoms, smoking, alcohol and drug use, circumstances of death were also record. Coronary arteries findings in autopsy, heart weight, localization of myocardial infarction and the presence of an old myocardial infraction were record from autopsy report. Results: 92 patients (54 male, 38 female mean aged 64.8 years) met the inclusion criteria. In the majority of cases an acute myocardial infraction was certified during autopsy (92.4%). Grading severity of coronary arteries lesions in most of cases they characterized as severe (75%), and only in two cases they found to be normal. Males were more possible to have moderate or severe lesions in coronary arteries compared with females. Severe atheromatosis was found in older victims more frequent compare to younger. Conclusions: Acute myocardial infarction is a common autopsy finding among victims of sudden cardiac death. Old-aged myocardial infraction also can be identified in many cases and the severity of atheromatic lesions extends by age.