[Indirect cardiac massage as a cause of pulmonary fat embolism].

55 cases of non-traumatic death with preterminal treatment by indirect heart massage showed fat pulmonary embolism in 42 per cent. Cases with thoracal fractures caused by massage were positive in 67 per cent. Controls were represented by a group of traumatic deaths with multiple fractures (80 per cent positivity) and a group of non-traumatic deaths without application of massage (6 per cent positivity).