CASE REPORTS   

Minerva Medicolegale 2009 June;129(2):113-8

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

An unusual death due to traumatic injuries by seat belts

Ventura F., Mazzarella M. L., Scimone B., Rebizzo A., De Stefano F.

Dipartimento di Medicina Legale, del Lavoro Psicologia Medica e Criminologia Sezione di Medicina Legale Università di Genova, Genova, Italia

The authors describe the case of a 38-year-old fat man, with sleep apnea syndrome and psycosis, died after 15 hours for an unserious traffic accident. The clinicians assessments did not put in evidence the death cause. Autopsy oriented for a death due to thoraco-abdominal trauma by seat belts. Particularly, the necroscopic and histopatological study revealed that death was connected with peritonitis and toxic shock due to laceration of the small bowel secondary to traumatic injuries of seat belt.