A comparative study of the injury pattern between suicidal and accidental falls from height in Northern Tunisia.
Accidental fall
Autopsy
Fall from height
Fallers
Forensic pathology
Injury pattern
Jumpers
Suicidal fall
Journal
Journal of forensic and legal medicine
ISSN: 1878-7487
Titre abrégé: J Forensic Leg Med
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101300022
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Jul 2023
Jul 2023
Historique:
received:
20
01
2023
revised:
24
03
2023
accepted:
29
04
2023
medline:
18
7
2023
pubmed:
22
5
2023
entrez:
21
5
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Falls from height are a common cause of marbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of the victims, the circumstances of the fall and distribution of the injuries of accidental and suicidal falls from height. It was a retrospective cross-sectional study, based on autopsies performed over 16 years (January 2005 to December 2020). The recorded variables included demographic data of the victim, height of fall, death scene findings, length of hospital stay, autopsy findings, and toxicological results. Of the 753 victims of fall from height, 607 were fallers and 146 were jumpers. We found that male victims were predominant in the accidental group (86.8% vs. 69.2%). The mean age at death was 43.6 ± 17.9 years. Suicidal falls occurred in a private house in the majority of cases (70.5%), while accidental falls occurred most frequently at workplace (43.8%). Suicidal falls were higher than accidental falls (10.4 ± 7.3 m vs. 7.1 ± 5.7 m). Injuries in the thorax, abdomen, pelvis, upper and lower extremities were more frequentl in the suicidal falls group. Pelvic fractures were 2.1 times more likely to occur in the suicidal falls. Head injuries were more frequent in the accidental falls group. The survival delay was shorter in the suicidal falls group. our study highlights the differences in the profile of the victims and in the pattern of injuries caused by falls from height, depending on the victim's intention to fall.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Falls from height are a common cause of marbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of the victims, the circumstances of the fall and distribution of the injuries of accidental and suicidal falls from height.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
METHODS
It was a retrospective cross-sectional study, based on autopsies performed over 16 years (January 2005 to December 2020). The recorded variables included demographic data of the victim, height of fall, death scene findings, length of hospital stay, autopsy findings, and toxicological results.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Of the 753 victims of fall from height, 607 were fallers and 146 were jumpers. We found that male victims were predominant in the accidental group (86.8% vs. 69.2%). The mean age at death was 43.6 ± 17.9 years. Suicidal falls occurred in a private house in the majority of cases (70.5%), while accidental falls occurred most frequently at workplace (43.8%). Suicidal falls were higher than accidental falls (10.4 ± 7.3 m vs. 7.1 ± 5.7 m). Injuries in the thorax, abdomen, pelvis, upper and lower extremities were more frequentl in the suicidal falls group. Pelvic fractures were 2.1 times more likely to occur in the suicidal falls. Head injuries were more frequent in the accidental falls group. The survival delay was shorter in the suicidal falls group.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
our study highlights the differences in the profile of the victims and in the pattern of injuries caused by falls from height, depending on the victim's intention to fall.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37210812
pii: S1752-928X(23)00049-5
doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2023.102531
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
102531Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests.