Pulmonary edema associated with child abuse: case reports and review of the literature.
Pulmonary edema has been an unreported finding in the evaluation of abused children. We describe 2 cases of pulmonary edema in abused infants, 1 after confessed suffocation and the other after inflicted head injury. A review of the literature regarding postobstructive and neurogenic pulmonary edema suggests useful inferences for the forensic evaluation of maltreated children who present with this finding.
Rubin
D M
DM
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. rubin@email.chop.edu
McMillan
C O
CO
Helfaer
M A
MA
Christian
C W
CW
D001237:Asphyxia / Q000150:complications*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D002649:Child Abuse; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011859:Radiography; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013396:Suction