title: Small bowel perforation and fatal peritonitis following a fall in a 21-month-old child.
abstract: The authors report a case of fatal peritonitis due to small bowel perforation in a 21-month-old female child. Necropsy excluded natural disease and a thorough Coronial investigation concluded that an accidental fall onto a "doorstop" caused the bowel injury. The investigative findings are presented; the discussion address issues of diagnosis and causation/mechanism of injury.
authors.affiliation: Wales Institute of Forensic Medicine, Cardiff University College of Medicine, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK. davisonam@cardiff.ac.uk
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Davison
authors.forename: Edgar J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lazda
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications; D000058:Accidental Falls; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*