The deadly broomstick: an unusual missile injury to the neck

Bolliger, Stephan; Plattner, Thomas; Zollinger, Ulrich (2006). The deadly broomstick: an unusual missile injury to the neck. American journal of forensic medicine & pathology, 27(4), pp. 304-6. Hagerstown, Md.: Wolters Kluwer Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 10.1097/01.paf.0000221084.57365.16

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A 51-year-old man was struck by the tip of a broomstick weighing 1000 g at the left side of the neck, upon which he collapsed. Intense but delayed cardiopulmonary resuscitation restored the circulation roughly 30 minutes after the incident. Upon admittance to a nearby hospital, an extensive hypoxic cerebral damage was diagnosed. Death due to the severe cerebral damage occurred 5 hours after the incident. An autopsy demonstrated a severe subcutaneous traumatization of the left side of the neck, with a hemorrhage compressing the carotid bifurcation. A prolonged excitation due to this ongoing compression of the baroreceptors in the carotid sinus was assumed to have led to a cardiac arrest. In this case report, the authors discuss the underlying pathophysiology of this potentially lethal and rare reflexogenic incident also known as the Hering reflex and discuss possible therapeutic measures.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Further Contribution)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Legal Medicine > Forensic Medicine
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Legal Medicine > Forensic Imaging
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Legal Medicine

UniBE Contributor:

Bolliger, Stephan, Plattner, Thomas, Zollinger, Ulrich Georg

ISSN:

0195-7910

ISBN:

17133025

Publisher:

Wolters Kluwer Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Language:

English

Submitter:

Factscience Import

Date Deposited:

04 Oct 2013 14:47

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:14

Publisher DOI:

10.1097/01.paf.0000221084.57365.16

PubMed ID:

17133025

Web of Science ID:

000242526500005

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/19331 (FactScience: 1865)

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