External cardiac massage is the essential life-saving gesture for the management of any cardiac arrest. Since the 1960s, many recommendations have been published to improve the effectiveness of chest compressions alongside the development of automated systems intended to maximize the chances of survival. The use of these manual and/or instrumental techniques can cause secondary injuries, of which rib fractures are the most commonly observed by forensic pathologists. However, a comprehensive review of the literature seldom highlights reports of injuries to the abdomen, even less so to the diaphragm. In this observation, an iatrogenic left diaphragmatic laceration for the first time is described, as a result of manual and instrumental cardiopulmonary resuscitation, in a victim from an intrathoracic wound caused by a bladed weapon.
Keywords: AutoPulse®; autopsy finding; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; chest compression; diaphragm injury; forensic aspect; forensic relevance; forensic science; iatrogenic complication; resuscitation related injuries.
© 2016 The Authors. Journal of Forensic Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Academy of Forensic Sciences.