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Erschienen in:
01.12.2015 | Originalien
Examination of invisible injuries
UV radiation-induced fluorescence as a supplement to physical examination for blunt trauma injury
Erschienen in: Rechtsmedizin | Ausgabe 6/2015
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Background
To obtain forensic evidence of blunt trauma injury, physical examination (PE) is necessary but is only valid when an injury is visible. Identification of previously invisible injuries through the application of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a phenomenon that has been known for decades, but to date has only drawn little attention in German legal medicine.
Objectives
To analyze at what point in time UV examination (UVE) can be used as an additional noninvasive tool to identify potential blunt trauma injuries, especially when visual signs are absent.
Materials and methods
Retrospective analysis of reports from 28 individuals who underwent forensic examination for blunt trauma injury, including the use of UV-induced fluorescence.
Results
In all, 28 subjects presented with 294 claimed injuries of which 205 were forensically verified to correspond with the mechanism of injury. Injuries were visible longer with an increasing intensity of violence. UVE identified 62 % of these potential injuries in a time span of up to 31 weeks after blunt trauma, whereas PE alone identified only 19 %.
Conclusion
UVE seems to be an essential aid for blunt trauma identification from the first moment of injury and is superior to using PE alone. Therefore, UVE should be used as an additional tool with every PE, especially if the suspected injuries are older than 1 week, to obtain complete evidence of blunt trauma injuries.