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Precise survival time and physical activity after fatal left ventricle injury from sharp pointed weapon: a case report and a review of the literature

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Abstract

Survival time and physical activity following fatal injury are especially important during investigation of homicide cases and the estimation of a victim’s survival time and physical activity following a fatal injury from a sharp weapon is a commonly raised issue, particularly at trial. According to the literature, survival time and physical activity after cardiac damage are short-term estimates without high accuracy. We report the homicide case of a young man who died as a result of a left ventricle injury caused by a sharp pointed weapon. This case is based on evidence from a video surveillance camera that recorded the whole scene after the fatal injury: The victim showed an adapted physical activity for 38 s, although the left ventricle incision measured 2 cm. Despite several cases in the literature, it is not possible to correlate precisely the size of the wounds and the acting capability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Nancy, Pôle URM, Nancy, F-54000, France

    Angélique Franchi, Martin Kolopp & Laurent Martrille

  2. Service de Médecine Légale, Université de Lorraine, Rue du Morvan 54511, Vandœuvre-les-Nancy, F-54505, France

    Angélique Franchi, Martin Kolopp, Henry Coudane & Laurent Martrille

Authors
  1. Angélique Franchi
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  2. Martin Kolopp
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  3. Henry Coudane
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  4. Laurent Martrille
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Correspondence to Angélique Franchi.

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Franchi, A., Kolopp, M., Coudane, H. et al. Precise survival time and physical activity after fatal left ventricle injury from sharp pointed weapon: a case report and a review of the literature. Int J Legal Med 130, 1299–1301 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1338-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1338-z

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