Penetrating chest injuries: a medicolegal analysis.

Penetrating injuries are one of the commonest methods of committing murder, of which penetrating injuries of the chest/heart are very serious and prove fatal in most of the cases (1). In a post mortem study of penetrating chest injuries at Lucknow, majority of the victims were adult male between 20-50 years of age. In majority of the cases injuries were caused by firearms usually a shot gun. Injuries by knives and daggers were also seen in few cases. Injuries were seen on the front of chest, predominantly on the left side, in majority of the cases. Lungs were damaged in all the cases. Heart; aorta & other thoracic organs were also injured in substantial number of cases. In the cases where heart was found damaged, the right ventricle was injured in majority of the cases. Two-third of the victims died within three hours after getting injuries, either on the spot or in the way to the hospital. All the cases of penetrating chest injuries were homicidal & personal rivalry was the single most common reason behind these deaths.

Medico legal diagnosis & pattern of injuries with sharp weapons.

Out of one hundred cases examined in GGS Medical College Faridkot during the period from July 2006 to September 2007 who sustained injuries with sharp weapons, majority (58%) were in the age group of 21-40 years, males (92%) with simple injuries (80%) and with light sharp weapons. Upper limbs were the parts of body with injuries in majority (47%) of cases followed by head (17%) and mixed type (14%).Nature of injury was homicidal in 60% cases followed by 34% cases with fabricated or strongly suspected fabricated injuries. This is a retrospective study to document pattern of injuries with medico-legal diagnosis to ascertain the type of injuries in the disbursement of justice.