Diagnosis of arterial gas embolism in SCUBA diving: modification suggestion of autopsy techniques and experience in eight cases
dc.contributor.author
dc.date.accessioned
2024-01-29T12:42:19Z
dc.date.available
2024-01-29T12:42:19Z
dc.date.issued
2018-02-19
dc.identifier.issn
1547-769X
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dc.description.abstract
The purpose of this study was to suggest modifications of autopsy techniques in order to improve post-mortem diagnosis of arterial gas embolism (AGE) based on multidisciplinary investigation of SCUBA diving fatalities. Five adult human cadavers from the voluntary donation program of the Human Anatomy Laboratory, and eight judicial autopsied bodies of SCUBA divers from the Forensic Pathology Servicewere assessed. Before performing any autopsies,we accessed the diving plan and the divers' profiles for each case.We then introduced a new dissection procedure that included identification, isolation, and manipulation of carotid, vertebral and thoracic arterial systems. The dissected vascular structures that allowed optimall isolation of the systemic arterial circulation were identified and ligated. In three of the eight judicial cases, we had a strongly suggestive history of arterial gas embolism following pulmonary barotrauma (PBt/AGE). In these cases, the additional arterial dissection allowed us to clearly diagnose AGE in one of them. The autopsy of the rest of the cases showed other causes of death such as asphyxia by drowning and heart attack. In all cases we were able to reject decompression sickness, and in some of them we showed the presence of artefacts secondary to decomposition and resuscitation maneuvers. These results allow us to suggest a specific autopsy technique divided into four steps, aimed at confirming or excluding some evidence of dysbaric disorders according to a re-enactment of the incident. We have demonstrated the presence of large volumes of intravascular air, which is typical of PBt/AGE
dc.format.extent
8 p.
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application/pdf
dc.language.iso
eng
dc.publisher
Springer
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Versió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-018-9951-4
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© Forensic Science Medicine and Pathology, 2018, vol. 14, p. 18-25
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Articles publicats (D-CM)
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Tots els drets reservats
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Casadesús Valbí, Josep Maria Aguirre, Fernando Carrera Burgaya, Ana Boadas i Vaello, Pere Serrando Querol, Maria Teresa Reina de la Torre, Francisco 2018 Diagnosis of arterial gas embolism in SCUBA diving: modification suggestion of autopsy techniques and experience in eight cases Forensic Science Medicine And Pathology 14 18 25
dc.subject
dc.title
Diagnosis of arterial gas embolism in SCUBA diving: modification suggestion of autopsy techniques and experience in eight cases
dc.type
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
dc.rights.accessRights
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.type.version
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.doi
dc.identifier.idgrec
027881
dc.type.peerreviewed
peer-reviewed
dc.identifier.eissn
1556-2891