title: Air bag injuries--a literature review in consideration of demands in forensic autopsies.
abstract: Air bags have been implicated in saving lives and reducing morbidity associated with motor vehicle crashes since their introduction in the mid-1970s. However, there is increasing evidence showing that air bags can be a source of injury and even death in certain circumstances. As the number of air bag-equipped vehicles increases, air bag-related injuries have occurred more frequently. Thus, a greater awareness of air bag-related injuries is required in forensic autopsies. Here, we review thoroughly the literature concerning air bag-related injuries with special regard to their nature and causative mechanisms, and summarize air bag-related injuries observed in adults, children and infants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Environmental Medicine, Forensic and Social Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Takara-machi 13-1, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D017278:Air Bags / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology