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Analysis of injuries in aircraft accident victims in 2002–2022 based on the resources of the Jagiellonian University Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków

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Juda P., Pajor D., Wójcik Ł., Kaczmarska A., Nowak M., Konopka T.

Problems of Forensic Sciences

2023

issue 136

Aim: The study aimed to analyse the most common injuries of victims of aviation accidents and compare it with the most recent literature. Methods and materials: Retrospective analysis of autopsy protocols of aircraft crash victims from the Forensic Medicine Department from years 2002–2022. The case selection has been made by two independent researchers. After applying the exclusion criteria 27 cases were obtained. Further searched for features that the bodies of victims had in common. There were analysed sex, age, circumstances of the incident, injuries, presence of psychoactive substances (alcohol, drugs), and blood concentration of carboxyhemoglobin. Results: Among 27 cases we found 19 airplane crashes, 4 glider accidents, 3 motor glider accidents, and one helicopter crash. The 1 case had no information about the type of aircraft. The injuries that emerged in each of the victims were typical results of direct impact forces. The most common were rupture of the lungs 63.0 % (n = 61; 17/27), heart 55.6% (n = 61; 15/27), liver 51.9% (n = 61; 14/27), aorta 40.7% (n = 61; 11/27) and spleen 29.6% (n = 61; 8/27). Common bone traumas included fractures of the ribs 77.8% (n = 61; 21/27) upper limbs 77.8% (n = 61; 21/27), skull 74.1% (n = 61; 20/27), pelvis 59.3% (n = 61; 16/27) and spine 51.9% (n = 61; 14/27). Injuries of the cervical spine occurred in victims who violently tilted their heads back. Conclusions: In most cases, the immediate cause of death was extensive multi-organ injuries, followed by thermal burns or brain injuries. In almost half of the victims, the presence of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood indicates that they were alive during the crashes. Knowledge of injury patterns can improve aviation safety and guide in reconstructing the mechanisms and sequences of the accidents.

A study of gunshot wounds associated with communist executions of the Cursed Soldiers: a medical and historical analysis of materials from the Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków

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Kaczmarska A., Juda P., Wójcik Ł., Kłaptocz P., Łukoś-Karcz K., Pajor D., Nowak M., Konopka T.

Problems of Forensic Sciences

2024

issue 139

Introduction: According to the document from 1946, the execution of a person sentenced to death by shooting was to consist of firing into the heart of the convict. Based on these guidelines, during forensic examination of the exhumed bone remains, several gunshot injuries to the torso (especially to the chest) should be expected. However, most of the bodies of the cursed soldiers analyzed in the Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków contained bullet holes in the bones of the skull.Aim of the study: The study aimed to characterize and reconstruct the gunshot wounds of cursed soldiers and to compare them with the protocol describing death penalty or other documents produced by Polish communistic state institutions. Material and methods: Retrospective analysis of autopsy protocols of cursed soldiers from the Department of Forensic Medicine in Cracow in the years 2017–2020 was conducted. After finding cases with gunshot wounds, we further analyzed the bullet inlet and outlet. Results: After excluding subjects that did not meet our requirements, we obtained 28 cases in total. Based on the number of gunshot wounds to the head, we documented 11 skulls with a single, 6 with two, and 3 with four or five gunshot wounds. In 8 cases, the exact bullet pathway couldn’t be established. We also searched for remains with injuries in other locations, and so we documented cases with additional gunshot wounds in the area of the scapula, pelvis, ribs, tibia, and humerus. Conclusions: In most cases, the deaths of cursed soldiers were due to craniocerebral injuries sustained by gunshots. Based on the reconstruction of the bullet track, the majority of skulls had an inlet in the area of the occipital bone, which indicates that the death penalty executors did not comply with the guidelines for its execution. This study may be used in further research in the field of forensic anthropology on the bodies of cursed soldiers exhumed.

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2 Problems of Forensic Sciences

2 Juda P.

2 Kaczmarska A.

2 Konopka T.

2 Nowak M.

2 Pajor D.

2 Wójcik Ł.

1 Kłaptocz P.

1 Łukoś-Karcz K.

1 2024

1 2023

Search results

Analysis of injuries in aircraft accident victims in 2002–2022 based on the resources of the Jagiellonian University Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków

A study of gunshot wounds associated with communist executions of the Cursed Soldiers: a medical and historical analysis of materials from the Department of Forensic Medicine in Kraków