Non-fatal strangulation and COVID-19 common symptoms and signs: considerations for medical and forensic assessment.

Autor: Bugeja L; Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. lyndal.bugeja@monash.edu., Rowse J; Department of Clinical Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia., Cunningham N; Department of Clinical Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia., Parkin JA; Department of Clinical Forensic Medicine, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Forensic science, medicine, and pathology [Forensic Sci Med Pathol] 2022 Jun; Vol. 18 (2), pp. 165-169. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Feb 09.
DOI: 10.1007/s12024-022-00460-x
Abstrakt: Emerging evidence suggests that an onset or escalation of interpersonal violence has been occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly among persons in intimate or familial relationships. Strangulation (or neck compression) is a common form of interpersonal violence and can result in serious adverse health outcomes, including death. The identification and attribution of injuries from non-fatal strangulation are complex, as there may be an absence of external signs of injury and their appearance may be delayed by many days. There is a heavy reliance on clinician identification of 'red flag' symptoms and signs, the presence of which necessitates urgent further assessment. Additional challenges arise when acute non-fatal strangulation symptoms and signs are shared with other clinical conditions. In such cases, differentiating between the conditions based on the symptoms and signs alone is problematic. We present the diagnostic challenges faced when conducting forensic assessments of COVID-19-positive and suspected COVID-19 (S/COVID) patients following allegations of non-fatal strangulation in the setting of physical and sexual assaults. The implications of shared symptoms and signs, for forensic clinicians, primary healthcare, and emergency practitioners, as well as other frontline service providers, are discussed.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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