Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker: a case report

Makhoba, Musa; Toit-Prinsloo, Lorraine Du

doi:10.1007/s12024-017-9910-5

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Thirty-four scientific articles dealing with forensic pathology and explosions that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the present research. Among these were 18 case reports [5,13,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37], 11 original articles [7-9, 11, 12, 14-16, 38-40], 3 reviews [41][42][43], and 2 case series [44,45]. No technical notes or extensive reviews focused on forensic evaluation of explosions and implications were found.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The case presented is a further exception, since the possibility to mistake this suicidal event with an accident or homicide relies mainly on circumstantial findings. In the literature of the last thirty years, a few case reports [7,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and one older study from Sweden [39] about selfinflicted explosion deaths have been published. In the cases reported [7,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]39], victims were men, ranging between 20 and 76 years-old (mean 37.7 years), and except for one case (with no risk factors described) [24], all suffered from psychiatric diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction, financial or personal problems [22-36, 39, 44].…”

Section: Self-inflicted Explosion Deathsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Explosion-related deaths: An overview on forensic evaluation and implications

Galante

Franceschetti

Sordo

et al. 2021

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Purpose Explosion-related deaths are uncommon events which require expertise and confidence so that an appropriate death investigation can be performed. The present study aims to provide a detailed forensic analysis of the issues and implications arising in the event of an explosion. Methods A retrospective review of casualty data was conducted on electronic literature databases. Cases concerning deadly explosions registered at the Milan Institute of Legal Medicine were examined and analyzed altogether. Results Explosions may involve closed or open systems. A security assessment of the site is always necessary. Alterations of the site due to rescue procedures can occur; thus, on-site forensic investigation should be adapted to the environment. Then, a study protocol based on autopsy procedures is presented. Application of the postmortem radiology enforces forensic procedures both for the analysis of blast injuries and skeleton fractures, and for identification purposes. Blast injuries typically cause lacerations of the lungs, intestine and major vessels; moreover, hyoid fractures can be documented. Histopathology may help to define blast injuries effectively. Forensic chemistry, toxicology and ballistics provide useful investigative evidence as well as anthropology and genetics. Different forensic topics regarding explosions are discussed through five possible scenarios that forensic pathologists may come across. Scenarios include self-inflicted explosion deaths, domestic explosions, work-related explosions, terrorist events, and explosions caused by accidents involving heavy vehicles. Conclusion The scenarios presented offer a useful instrument to avoid misinterpretations and evaluation errors. Procedural notes and technical aspects are provided to the readers, with an insight on collaboration with other forensic experts.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Self-inflicted Explosion Deathsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explosion-related deaths: An overview on forensic evaluation and implications

Galante

Franceschetti

Sordo

et al. 2021

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A possible explanation of the increasing trend of fireworks-related injuries lies in an easier accessibility due to the commercialization of the so-called class C fireworks, which are usually thought to be safe [ 8 ]. Very few cases are described in literature reporting their use for suicidal attempts, mainly by insertion inside the oral cavity, with subsequent death and disfigurement of the craniofacial structures [ 14 , 17 , 20 ]. Much more frequent are fireworks-related accidents, which recognise as main causes improper use by untrained people, handling in absence of adequate safety precautions within production factories or management-independent accidents.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to literature, explosion-related deaths are not uncommon events, and are most frequently associated with terrorist or military activities; in this context, fireworksrelated deaths account for just a few of all cases, being usually ascribed to suicidal attempts or accidents related to their production or use for fun and entertainment [4,9,[14][15][16][17][18][19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forensic investigative issues in a fireworks production factory explosion

et al. 2021

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Since their discovery in ancient China, fireworks rapidly spread throughout the world, where they have always been used to celebrate either popular or private events. Their use is nonetheless related to several risks, especially within production factories, since several injuries or even death can occur following an accidental ignition. In cases of major disasters related to fireworks explosions, stating the accidental or intentional nature of the event might prove challenging, thus raising the need of a multidisciplinary approach. In this regard, we here discuss the case of an accidental explosion that occurred in a fireworks production factory, accountable for five deaths and two hospitalisations.

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“…In a case study, a young woman presented with severe burns of the oropharynx following insertion of a Roman candle firecracker into her mouth, in an attempted suicide [8]. In another case report, elderly male discharged a firecracker inside his mouth, resulting in the fatal blast and craniofacial injuries [9].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Firecracker-induced gastric perforation: A case report and review of literature

Singh¹,

Kaur²,

Singh³

et al. 2020

IJCR

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F irecrackers are utilized all around the world during different cultural and historical festivals. Firecrackers if not utilized with caution may prove to be a major health hazard. Lots of cases of firecracker injuries have been reported all over the world, especially around festival seasons such as Diwali in India, Bastille Day in France, Tihar in Nepal, New year day in China, Independence day, Halloween in the USA, and numerous more [1]. Most of the firecracker injuries are superficial burns and children are the most affected age group [2]. It could be because of the interest in trying different things with sparklers, obliviousness, and ignorance of conceivable dangers. Firecracker-induced injuries are commonly reported as superficial soft-tissue injuries affecting the head, neck, and upper limbs [3]. Such cases pose a special challenge to the surgeons due to the involvement of the young population and the social, cultural, legal, and emotional factors involved with the nature of injuries. Judicious decision and empathy toward the patient as well as toward relatives can resolve lots of problems. In this case report, a 22-year-old male suffered gastric perforation due to the improper use of firecrackers. This case report again emphasizes the importance of avoidance of adventurous behavior with the firecracker use, the importance of safe use, and awareness of possible hazards of firecrackers. CASE REPORT A 22-year-old male presented in the emergency department of our hospital with a chief complaint of penetrating abdominal trauma. The injury occurred a day after the Diwali festival when the patient attempted to explode firecrackers under steel glass. After the explosion, the steel glass gets broken into pieces and one of the pieces enters the abdominal cavity. In the history, the patient had undergone exploratory laparotomy around 1 year back for the intestinal perforation and a midline scar which could be appreciated on examination (Fig. 1). At the time of presentation, his hemodynamic vitals were stable and there was a single wound approximately 3×1 cm in size, lying obliquely in the left hypochondriac region. Omentum could be seen coming out of the wound with fresh ooze (Fig. 1). On examination, guarding and rigidity were present. All routine investigations were within normal limits. X-ray abdomen showed a sharp foreign body in the pelvis (Fig. 2). Exploratory laparotomy was planned in view of these findings. On exploration, there was a gastric perforation about 2×2 cm in size in the anterior wall near the greater curvature of the stomach. The foreign body was retrieved (Fig. 3) and gastric perforation was sealed using omentum patch. The abdomen was then closed in layers. He was then put on broadspectrum antibiotics. His post-operative stay in the hospital was uneventful and the patient was discharged in satisfactory condition. The patient was given follow-up in the outpatient ABSTRACT Firecracker-induced injuries are commonly reported as superficial soft-tissue injuries affecting the head, neck, and upper lim...

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Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker: a case report

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Explosion-related deaths: An overview on forensic evaluation and implications

Explosion-related deaths: An overview on forensic evaluation and implications

Forensic investigative issues in a fireworks production factory explosion

Firecracker-induced gastric perforation: A case report and review of literature

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