Elevated falls versus same-level falls:forensic assessment as a cause of death

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46721/tejom-vol1issEsp-2021-76-88

Keywords:

Same-level Fall, Elevated Fall, Accident, Suicide, Homicide, Forensic Medicine

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Same-level falls and elevated falls are considered a public health problem due to their
associated morbidity and mortality. The objective of this review is to describe the epidemiological aspects and evaluation of injuries from the forensic medical point of view in
victims of elevated and same-level falls. A narrative theoretical review was carried out
where 41 articles were included.
Elevated falls and same-level falls account for at least 1% to 6% of the causes of death
in all age groups, and it is projected to be one of the top 20 causes of death globally by
2030. Elevated falls and same-level falls are differentiated by the axis of balance, since
in the first one the projection towards the floor is on a level plane whilst in elevated falls
the projection is lower down.
The injury pattern in cases of same-level falls occurs mainly in the skull, thorax, and extremities; on the other hand, elevated falls involves severe injuries to intra-abdominal and
intrathoracic organs, the severity of which depends on the height

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Published

2021-11-01