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Fatal Pressure Over Neck by Hanging
Published in Sudhir K. Gupta, Forensic Pathology of Asphyxial Deaths, 2022
Accidental hanging rarely occurs, and if it does, it mostly involves children. Here, the neck gets entangled in any ligature or other structure like side rails of a crib and the body gets suspended. Since sudden cerebral hypoxia incapacitates the child, the death happens without any struggle. Scene examination should complement the theory of accidental death, and all other possible circumstances should be analyzed before ruling out a homicide angle. Accidental hanging is very rare among adults. It can happen following sudden unexpected malfunctioning of some machinery or sudden collapse of an individual when a potential noose or any other object like scarf, chain, etc. is present around neck. These incidents generally happen with people incapacitated due to drugs, injury, infirmity, senility or any other serious natural disease. All these circumstances need to be considered and worked up meticulously by the forensic surgeon before the conclusion of the case. Another group of accidental hanging is death following autoerotic practices. These mishaps are discussed in a separate chapter.
Trauma in the Elderly
Published in Ian Greaves, Keith Porter, Jeff Garner, Trauma Care Manual, 2021
Ian Greaves, Keith Porter, Jeff Garner
Fire is the second-most common cause of accidental death in the elderly.15 Patients over 65 make up 7.7% of burned adults, but 22% of those fatally injured.16 Burns in older patients are associated with a high fatality rate and are often a result of scalds. Injuries tend to be more significant as a result of a combination of relative immobility and age-related atrophic changes in the skin.17 The elderly are especially vulnerable as pedestrians in road traffic collisions (RTCs), given that they may have reduced mobility and response times.18 As drivers, they may have impaired skills or may suffer the acute effects of a medical condition while driving. Preusser et al.19 demonstrated that drivers between the ages of 65 and 69 years were 1.29 times more likely to be involved in a fatal RTC than a cohort of 40- to 49-year-olds. This figure rises to a 3.74 times relative risk in over-85-year-olds. A study of RTCs in which elderly people were found to be at fault highlights the significant contribution of medical conditions.20 In another study, elderly diabetic patients were shown to be 2.6 times more likely to suffer an accident than non-diabetic control subjects.21 The elderly are vulnerable to injury whether in their own homes or outside. Relative social isolation and poor housing compounds the risk of injury (Box 24.2). Equally, non-accidental injury (NAI) at the hands of family or carers is increasingly recognized in high-risk elderly patients.22
Water-Related Deaths by Manner
Published in Kevin L. Erskine, Erica J. Armstrong, Water-Related Death Investigation, 2021
Most direct drownings or injury-associated drownings are accidental and are associated with a number of factors, such as lack of safety education and awareness, impairment, human error, mechanical defect, weather, or an underlying medical condition. Globally, it is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death. In the United States, drowning is the second most common cause of accidental death in infants and children, after motor vehicle accidents.18 Reports of water-related deaths associated with rare and unusual circumstances have been made. Rare cases of accidental water-related deaths, including drowning, associated with autoeroticism have been reported.19,20 Electricity-related deaths while immersed in natural bodies of water have also been reported. These reports include electrocution via contact with a submersible water pump while scuba diving and drowning due to electrical shock from contact with dock lights.21
Positive-word stimuli via a smartphone application have no immediate-term effects on multi-directional reach ability in standing position: a randomized controlled trial
Published in Annals of Medicine, 2021
Kenta Azukizawa, Kodai Hirose, Yuta Morigami, Naoki Higashi, Hiroyuki Uchida, Kazuki Hirao
According to the World Health Organisation, falls are the second leading cause of accidental death or unintentional injury worldwide [1]. Every year, 37.3 million severe falls that require doctors’ consultation occur [1]. Falls are common in elderly people, and approximately one-third of them have experienced falls [2,3]. Falls are a public health problem; even if it does not lead to death, it can cause reduced physical function, limited participation and activity, social isolation, reduced confidence, and reduced quality of life, such as from fractures or head trauma [4–13]. Therefore, an effective prevention strategy against falls is important. Previous studies have suggested that a reduction in the reach ability in a standing position is a risk factor for falls [14–19]. Therefore, interventions focussing on reach ability in standing position are necessary to prevent falls.
Technology-Based Educational Approaches to Address Opioid Use Management by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2020
Brayden N. Kameg, Ann Mitchell
In the U.S., annual morbidity and mortality data related to opioid use are consistently worrisome. Drug overdose remains the leading cause of accidental death, with nearly 64,000 deaths attributable to opioid-related overdoses in 2016 and a 20% increase in opioid-related morbidity since 2015 (Scholl et al., 2019). In addition to death by opioid overdose, the prevalence of those struggling with opioid use disorders (OUDs) also highlights the severity of the epidemic with 2.5 million individuals meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) criteria for OUDs, the majority of whom are addicted to prescription opioids (80%), with the remaining individuals using heroin (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics & Quality, 2016). In addition to the aforementioned disease burden, opioid use and associated disorders have resulted in a profound economic burden, with the cost of prescription-related opioid use alone estimated at 78.5 billion dollars in correctional costs and loss of productivity, with another 26 billion dollars spent on healthcare costs alone (Florence et al., 2016).
Effects of the Sex Ratio and Socioeconomic Deprivation on Male Mortality
Published in Archives of Suicide Research, 2020
F. R. Moore, M. Macleod, C. Starkey, I. Krams, T. Roy
Interestingly, we did not find similar patterns in risk or rates of death by accident/unintentional injury. Suicide and assault are both linked to violence (toward self and others, respectively), whereas accidental death may be more closely linked to risk taking. Perhaps a male-biased sex ratio results in reduced violence, but does not relate to risk taking. In support of previous findings, and those of Study 1, the rate of deaths by accident was higher during years of high unemployment. That the risk of male deaths by suicide was lower during these years supports our suggestion that suicide and accidental deaths are predicted by different underlying psychology and resultant behavior. As above, however, we recommend further research to explore the associations we propose here between individual-level aggression and risk taking and rates of deaths by accident, assault, and self-harm.