الفهرس 
Forensic Anatomy Of The HeartOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The Present study has aimed to throw light upon deaths due to traumatic heart injuries from the medico-legal point of view.
* To fulfill the aim of this work, we have:
(1) Reviewed the literature related to cardiac injuries where we looked into the type of heart trauma and cause of injury , the Causative Agent (Impalement), the mechanism of injuries, the different types of injuries that occur in the heart and the great vessels, the manner of death due to cardiac Trauma and lastly the medico-legal autopsies of the heart.
(2) Studied and analyzed the available reports of the cases of cardiac injuries that had been referred to the morgue of Cairo during the period 1996 – 2000. In each report we’ve concentrated upon the following information. (The age, gender, type of trauma whether blunt or penetrating, the causal instrument, main cause of injuries, wounded chamber, Mechanism of death, place of death (Post injury survival time), and lastly the manner of death.
* The result of the study have showed that:
(1) Incidence of cardiac injury have constituted (183) 7.5% of all cases (2, 410) that were dissected in the same period of the study.
(2) The mean age of the cardiac injuries victims was 29.7 years.
(3) Male represent 167 (91.3%) of 183 cases whereas female represent 16(8.7%)cases.
(4) Penetrating trauma constructing 171 (93.4%) whereas blunt trauma case have constitute 12 (6.6%) of all cases.
(5) The causes of cardiac injuries were:
* Stabbing 140 (76.6%).
* Firearm (shooting) 31 (16.9%)
* Fall from height (5 = 2.7%).
* Other blunt (5 = 2.7%).
* traffic Accident (2 = 1.1%).
(6) Knife was the main causal instrument represent 138 (75.5%).
(7) Manner of death in fatal cardiac injuries was :
* Homicide in 159 (86.9%) of cases.
* Accidental in 15 (8.2%) of cases.
* Suicidal in 8 (4.4%) of cases.
* Undetermined in 1 ( 0.5%) of cases.
(8) The left ventricle was the most common wounded chamber. Represent 82 (44.8%) followed by right ventricles 60 (32.8%) then Right atrium 7 ( 3.8%) and lastly Left Atrium 2 ( 1.1%.)
(9) About 118 (64.5%) of cardiac injuries victims died at scene of crime and 22(12.0%) during transportation whereas 43(22.5%) reach hospital alive and then died.
(10) Regard 1ry cases of death the isolated cardiac injury represent 157 (85.8%).
At the end of our study we noticed that cardiac Injuries are very important due to: * high incidence
* low mean age of the victims.
* high prevalence of homicidal cases.
RECOMMENDATIONS
In view of the fact that only a very low percentage of patients who sustained cardiac injury reach hospital alive, population – based studies, especially autopsy results, should be carried out and must be documented to define the characteristics feature of cardiac injuries and the pattern of fatal traumatic heart injuries which considered a reflection the prevailing social behaviour and mental health status.
from our study, it is recommended that complete dissection and documentation should be done to all deaths due to traumatic causes especially the heart trauma by forensic pathologists and not only to the criminal suspicious cases to get more accurate data base about the characteristics feature of cardiac injuries and the pattern of fatal traumatic heart injuries.
from the study, it has been found that the availability of sharp object weapons such as knife and dragger is playing an important role as risk factors of fatal traumatic heart injuries, so it is strongly recommended more strict legislations low to be done to restrict the availability of carrying such weapons.
We also recommended that cardiac histopathology should be done with more attention even with cases that have obvious cardiac injuries to understand the interaction and relation between cardiac diseases and trauma and also get more information about the characteristics feature of cardiac injuries.