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Kislov MA, Chauhan M, Prikhodko AN, Bespamyatnov RV, Natarova KV. Suicide by a construction nail fired from a pistol. J Forensic Leg Med 2024; 103:102682. [PMID: 38657335 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2024.102682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Penetrating head injury to accomplish suicide by a non-ammunition-related projectile discharged from a nail-gun is a very rare entity. The authors describe even much rarer, and the first reported case of a suicide penetrating head injury by a construction nail discharged from a blank cartridge of a pistol. The absence of beveling and muzzle impression, the non-ejection of the discharged cartridge, and the exit of just the tip of the nail from the other side of wound were the atypical features in this firearm fatality sustained at a contact-range. The entry wound prototypes like abrasion and grease collar, and blackening were absent. An improvisation to insert a construction nail into the chamber of firearm, for utilization as a projectile was another unique highlight here. The deceased was a construction builder. Being debt-ridden, he probably could not manage to purchase even one live cartridge for his licensee pistol to bring suicidal ideation to culmination.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Kislov
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Federal State University of Education, Moscow, Russia.
| | - M Chauhan
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, 1st Floor, Old Academic Block, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road, Connaught Place, DIZ Area, New - Delhi, 110001, India.
| | - A N Prikhodko
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russia.
| | - R V Bespamyatnov
- Criminalistics Department, Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Moscow Region, Colonel of Justice, 127006, Sadovo-Triumfalnaya Street, 10/13, Moscow, Russia.
| | - K V Natarova
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia.
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Calvano M, Cristalli A, Mele F, Leonardelli M, Musci G, Duma S, Macorano E, Gravili G, De Gabriele G, De Donno A, Introna F. Multiple nail gun injuries: suicide or homicide? Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:443-447. [PMID: 37775593 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-03098-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Nail gun injuries are a forensic problem; it can be difficult to distinguish self-inflicted injuries from accident and homicide instances. This kind of injuries shares some characteristics with both gunshot and puncture wounds. We describe a peculiar case of a man who committed suicide driving nails into his skull using a pneumatic nail gun. Entrance wounds were found on both temporal regions of the head. Reviewing scientific literature, this is the first case in Italy reporting the macroscopic data of bilateral head and brain nail gun injuries during an autopsy. Circumstantial elements were not sufficient to clarify if these lesions were self-inflicted, inflicted by accident, or else. Radiological examination can be helpful to show the exact location of the nails, but it has also its own limitations. We firmly believe that autopsy, especially the head section, is crucial to identify the nature and the extension of these lesions, thus giving us much more information about the mechanism of death and the circumstances in which it occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariagrazia Calvano
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cristalli
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Federica Mele
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Mirko Leonardelli
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluca Musci
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Stefano Duma
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Enrica Macorano
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluca Gravili
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Giovanni De Gabriele
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio De Donno
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Introna
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine, Policlinico di Bari Hospital, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11 70124, Bari, Italy
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Fernando DMG, Ekanayake EMKB. Nail Gun Suicide: An Atypical Case Report and Review of the Literature. Am J Forensic Med Pathol 2021; 42:267-274. [PMID: 33394684 DOI: 10.1097/paf.0000000000000650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Nail guns are pneumatically driven or powder-actuated tools, which are used to drive nails into wood or concrete. A 42-year-old man, who was a builder by profession and history of antidepressant use, was found dead in his vehicle, holding a "Ramset" nail gun in his right hand. A straight metal nail and a book with a small hole were recovered from the scene.At autopsy, an irregularly circular puncture wound was seen on the forehead and a cruciate laceration was seen on the posterior aspect of the scalp. No burning, blackening, or tattooing was present around either injury. Both internal and external beveling was present with the latter being relatively larger. Toxicological analysis revealed alcohol and methamphetamine in blood. Psychiatric history and substance abuse must also be considered when individuals in construction industry are given access to tools like nail guns.Several unique features not previously reported were observed in this case. The deceased had overcome the built-in safety mechanism of the nail gun, by placing a book in between his forehead and muzzle. Another unique feature is that the nail had exited the cranium. Beveling, a feature commonly found in firearm injuries, was also seen in this case.
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WITHDRAWN: Successful treatment of a nail gun injury in right parietal region and superior sagittal sinus: Case report and literature review. INTERDISCIPLINARY NEUROSURGERY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inat.2020.100813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Bone beveling caused by blunt trauma: a case report. Int J Legal Med 2015; 130:771-5. [PMID: 26585737 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-015-1293-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The authors report a fatal case of blunt trauma to the skull caused by a rib of a beach umbrella. The skull displayed a round hole in the right temporal bone with typical internal beveling. Blunt trauma mimicking a gunshot wound (round perforation of the skull with internal beveling) is very rarely reported in the forensic literature.
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Jeon YH, Kim DM, Kim SH, Kim SW. Serious penetrating craniocerebral injury caused by a nail gun. J Korean Neurosurg Soc 2014; 56:537-9. [PMID: 25628820 PMCID: PMC4303736 DOI: 10.3340/jkns.2014.56.6.537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Penetrating cerebral injuries caused by foreign bodies occur rarely due to the substantial mechanical protection offered by the skull. Throughout most of history, the brain, residing in a "closed box" of bone, has not been vulnerable to external aggression. Recently, we encountered a serious penetrating craniocerebral injury caused by a nail gun. Total excision of the offending nail via emergency craniotomy was performed, but the patient's neurologic status was not improved in spite of aggressive rehabilitative treatment. Here, we report on this troublesome case in light of a review of the relevant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Hyun Jeon
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Dong Min Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Sung Hoon Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wonju Christian Hospital, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
| | - Seok Won Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea
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Luo W, Liu H, Hao S, Zhang Y, Li J, Liu B. Penetrating brain injury caused by nail guns: two case reports and a review of the literature. Brain Inj 2012; 26:1756-62. [PMID: 22823496 DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2012.700085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To the best of the authors' knowledge, there are few case reports of penetrating brain injuries (PBI) caused by nail guns and these have usually involved incomplete penetration of the skull. Complete penetration of a nail into the intracranial cavity is extremely rare. CASE STUDY Here, two such cases are presented. In the first, the nail entered through the right temporal bone, lodged in the right temporal lobe and was removed via craniotomy with intra-operative ultrasound guidance. In the second, the nail destroyed the left parietal bone, damaged the left internal capsule and lodged in the left temporal lobe near the left petrous apex and the brain stem. According to the latest literature retrieval, this is the first reported case of nail-gun injury to the internal capsule. The position of the nail precluded removal without further neurologic damage. Treatment strategies designed to optimize outcome, with or without surgery, and possible complications are discussed in this report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, PR China
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Frank M, Grossjohann R, Schikorr W, Tesch R, Lange J, Ekkernkamp A, Langner S, Bockholdt B, Tost F. Nail projectiles propelled by a mason's lacing cord: an experimental approach. Int J Legal Med 2012; 127:153-8. [PMID: 22562442 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-012-0707-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The recent clinical observation of two unintentional penetrating ocular and cerebral injuries due to 90-mm construction nails gave occasion to an experimental study to check the alleged trauma mechanism for plausibility. Both casualties reported that they had attached a mason's lacing cord to the masonry using a nail as anchoring when suddenly the nail was yanked from its moorings and propelled like a missile by the overstretched lacing cord. As to the best of the authors' knowledge, this mechanism of injury has not yet been reported in any of the literature; it was the aim to find an experimental approach to review the plausibility of the alleged sequence of events leading to the accidents. The tensile strength at break and strain at break of different mason's lacing cords (diameter of 1 and 2 mm) were measured according to DIN EN ISO 2062 by using a tensile testing machine. Based on the maximum spring energy of the lacing cords, which was determined 174.9 J for the 1-mm cord (length 10 m) and 747.4 J for the 2-mm cord (length 10 m), the maximum possible velocity of the nails as projectiles was calculated to be 243.5 m/s for the 1-mm cord and 503.4 m/s for the 2-mm cord. The critical elongation a cord of a certain length has to be stretched to deliver enough kinetic energy to a 90-mm nail to surpass the threshold velocity for skin penetration, which was investigated by Sellier (1977) to be approximately 18 m/s, was also calculated. To conclude, the energy delivered by the cords is high enough to surpass the rather low threshold velocity of nails. The details of how these accidents occurred, which seemed questionable at first, can be reasonably explained by trauma biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Frank
- Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Sauerbruchstrasse, 17475, Greifswald, Germany.
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Ballistic parameters and trauma potential of direct-acting, powder-actuated fastening tools (nail guns). Int J Legal Med 2011; 126:217-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s00414-011-0584-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Englot DJ, Laurans MS, Abbed K, Bulsara KR. Removal of nail penetrating the basilar artery. Neurosurg Rev 2010; 33:501-4. [DOI: 10.1007/s10143-010-0268-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2009] [Revised: 01/20/2010] [Accepted: 05/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Nailed: The Case of 24 Self-Inflicted Intracranial Nails From a Pneumatic Nailgun. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 68:E104-7. [DOI: 10.1097/ta.0b013e31814fb697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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