Pitfalls Encountered during Documentation of Cases of Fatal Fall from Height Presented to Kafr EL Sheikh-Medico legal Department during the Period from (1999 to 2013)

Patterns of Injuries in Fatal Fall from Height Cases in Gharbia Governorate: Autopsy Study

“…Meanwhile, thoracic cage injuries (rib fractures) were reported in 69% of cases. Such results were consistent with comparable studies that discussed falling from more than 6 meters' height (Kohli and Banerjee, 2006;Haggag et al, 2016;Ramadan et al 2016;Kasim et al, 2018). However, these results were contradictory to data gathered by authors who include a high incidence of falls from a low height (≤ 1 meter), which lead to minor injuries usually in the extremities (Grivna et al, 2014;ElGohary et al 2016).…”

“…The injuries pattern described in the current study was consistent with most of the literature (Xia et al, 2012;Prathapan and Umadethan, 2015;Rocos et al, 2015;Haggag et al, 2016 andRamadan et al, 2016) who demonstrated related injuries. Head and thorax were the most affected regions, followed by the abdomen and pelvis, then extremities.…”

“…This could be explained because males are more exposed to stress or strain than females (ElGohary et al, 2016). They are more exposed to occupational hazards, as they are mostly laborers working in construction, maintenance, and many jobs that carry a risk of falling from a height, especially without proper training or equipment (Ramadan et al, 2016). Based on these facts, a significant increase in the male ratio in this study becomes predictable.…”

“…Falls from heights are considered one of the dilemmas in forensic case works. Postmortem findings have to be evaluated within the framework of the victim's medical, social, and psychiatric history and findings at the death scene and toxicology results to reach the clearest possible picture of death's circumstances (Ramadan et al, 2016).…”