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Fatal Penetrating Injuries Sustained by High‐pressure Water Jet Unit
Author(s) -
Radojevic Nemanja,
Radnic Bojana,
Curovic Ivana
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12861
Subject(s) - jet (fluid) , medicine , water jet , femoral vein , femoral artery , high pressure , vein , anatomy , surgery , mechanics , forensic engineering , physics , engineering , mechanical engineering , nozzle
The high‐pressure water jet unit is a generator of frequent burst of water jets. The water jet reaches very high speeds and is able to cause wounds similar to those of high‐velocity projectiles. In the presented case, unusual fatal injuries sustained by water jet are presented. Operating with the unit, an untrained worker accidentally activated a high‐pressure water jet unit, and the extremely high pressure of water liberated the jet unit from his hand and whirled it around him. A jet stream of water ran across his body and caused fatal penetrating injuries in the femoral region. The edges of the wound were mainly sharp with contusion rings on the skin beyond the edges. Exploring the inside of the canals during the autopsy, the left femoral artery and vein were found to be completely transected. The resemblance to a firearm entry wound and the severity of the internal injury make it a noteworthy entity.