Electric injury: a case series
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20223100Keywords:
Electrocution, Accident, Death scene visit, BurnAbstract
In the modern era, electricity acts as a vital zone for mankind. The most important external sign of electrocution is the electric mark. The internal findings of electrocution are usually unspecific. The electric mark can also be of postmortem origin and is therefore not a reliable proof that the electric shock occurred before death, unless the survival time was long enough for an inflammatory response of the affected tissue. Various cases of electrocution have been reported in literature but as per the best of authors knowledge none of them have been clearly explained for the establishment of complete electric circuit in reported cases; required for fatal electrocution. In the present case series, authors’ report and discuss the three cases of electrocution under different circumstances with deviations in expectations. Because of the diagnostic problems authors also discuss the significance and careful evaluation of incident/death scene in all definitive as well as suspected cases of electrocution and emphasize on various components required for complete electric circuit for flow of current.
References
Saukko P, Knight B. Knight’s Forensic Pathology. 4th ed. London: CRC Press. 2016;325-38.
Kroll MW. Conducted Electrical Weapons. In: Stark MM (ed.) Clinical Forensic Medicine: A Physician’s Guide. 3rded. London: Humana Press. 2011;233-75.
Donoghue ER, Lifschultz BD. Electrical and lightning injuries. In: Spitz and Fisher’s (ed.) Medicolegal investigation of death. 4thedition. 2006;882-902.
Vij K. Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 5thed. India. Elsevier. 2011;175-82.
Dettmeyer RB, Verhoff MA, Schutz HF. Forensic Medicine Fundamentals and Perspectives. New York: Springer. 2014;213-26.
Blumenthal R. Electrocution and Lightning. In: Madea B (ed.) Handbook of Forensic Medicine. UK. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 2014;477-94.
Tyagi A, Shankar S, Chawla H, Yadav K, Kumar H. High voltage electrocution injury – A case report. Int J Forensic Med Toxicol Sci. 2019;4:68-70.
Sheikhazadi A, Kiani M, Ghadyani M. Electrocution-related mortality: a survey of 295 deaths in Tehran, Iran between 2002 and 2006. Ame J Forensic Med and Pathol. 2010;31:42-5.
Manigandan G, Samynathan P, Shanmugam K. Fatal High Voltage Accidental Electrocution – Two Case Reports. Int J Forensic Sci & Pathol. 2014;2:57-60.
Reddy KSN, Murty OP. Essentials of forensic medicine & toxicology. 34th ed. New Delhi: Jaypee. 2017;295-312.
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India 2020. 54th report. 2020;7-55.
Karmakar S. An unusual case of electrocution by a tile cleaning machine. MedPulse Int J of Forensic Med. 2017;1:1-2.
Giri S, Waghmode A, Tumram N.K. Study of different facets of electrocution deaths: a 5-year review. Egypt J Forensic Sci. 2019;9:1-6.