title: Establishment of the medico-legal cause of death in two atypical cases of gas embolism in hospital: Importance of the scene.
abstract: Two cases of lethal gas embolism occurring in a hospital setting are presented. These did not differ with regards to the medical cause of death (MCOD), but did so with regard to the medico-legal cause of death (MLCOD). In the first case, the immediate recognition of a suspicious death and subsequent conservation of the scene led to a certain MLCOD (autolysis). In the second case, the death was initially treated as of natural cause. The subsequent disruption of the scene of death led to loss of evidence essential to establish the MLCOD, that was concluded to be undetermined. These cases illustrate the importance of medico-legal treatment of scenes of death to arrive at the MLCOD, and that the hospital setting is no exception especially as in view of potential medical liability.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Légale, CHU de Bordeaux, place Amélie-Raba-Léon, 33076 Bordeaux cedex, France.
authors.forename: Larbi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benali
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abriat
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Titier
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gromb
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D000368:Aged; D004618:Embolism, Air; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D013405:Suicide