Aulino Giovanni, Rega Michele, Rossi Vittoria, Zedda Massimo, Oliva Antonio
Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Francesco Vito, 1, Rome, 00168, Italy.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2024 Sep 20. doi: 10.1007/s12024-024-00896-3.
Elevator-related fatalities and injuries are rarely discussed. Falls have been identified as the first cause of mortality in the majority of these accidents. Evidence suggests that many elevator accidents may be attributed to inadequate equipment maintenance or malfunctions of the devices. This study examines a case involving an elevator maintenance worker found within an elevator shaft, using postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) along with a full autopsy. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was severe polytrauma resulting from dragging, compression, and crushing mechanisms, which resulted in a dislocated skull and multiple thoraco-abdominal injuries, including exposed organs and viscera. Detailed examination identified a cranio-encephalic crush, leading to a significant alteration in the physiognomy of the facial structures. Additionally, PMCT revealed complex spinal fractures, such as a Jefferson fracture and a complete Chance fracture at the D6 vertebra, accompanied by spinal deviation proximal to the fracture site. Autopsy findings corroborated these PMCT results. A multidisciplinary approach, including PMCT, is proposed as a strategic method for the comprehensive reconstruction of such accidents, facilitating the collection of extensive data.
电梯相关的死亡和伤害很少被讨论。在大多数此类事故中，坠落已被确定为首要死因。有证据表明，许多电梯事故可能归因于设备维护不足或装置故障。本研究通过尸体计算机断层扫描（PMCT）以及全面尸检，对一起涉及在电梯井内发现的电梯维修工人的案例进行了调查。尸检显示，死因是由拖拽、挤压和碾压机制导致的严重多发性创伤，造成颅骨脱位以及多例胸腹损伤，包括器官和内脏外露。详细检查发现了颅脑挤压伤，导致面部结构的相貌发生显著改变。此外，PMCT显示存在复杂的脊柱骨折，如寰椎骨折和第6胸椎处的完全性Chance骨折，并伴有骨折部位近端的脊柱侧弯。尸检结果证实了这些PMCT结果。建议采用包括PMCT在内的多学科方法，作为对此类事故进行全面重建的战略方法，以便利收集广泛的数据。
