Classification of Thermal Injuries
Forensic Medicine: Heat & Cold Pathologies
1. Heat-Related Injuries
| Category | Mechanism/Examples |
|---|---|
| Burns | Dry heat (flame, hot objects, electricity, friction). |
| Scalds | Moist heat (boiling water, steam, hot oil). |
| Hyperthermia | Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps. |
2. Cold-Related Injuries
| Category | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Freezing | Frostbite (localized tissue freezing), Trench foot. |
| Non-Freezing | Chilblains (pernio), Immersion foot. |
| Hypothermia | Systemic drop in core body temperature below 35°C. |
3. High-Yield Forensic Pearls
- Burns Degree (Wallace Rule of Nines): Used to estimate total body surface area (TBSA) in burn injuries, critical for determining prognosis and fluid resuscitation.
- Post-Mortem Heat/Cold Signs: In fire deaths, watch for cherry-pink discoloration (CO poisoning) and soot in the airway (indicates breathing during fire). In hypothermia deaths, look for Wischnewsky spots (gastric mucosal hemorrhages).
- Paradoxical Undressing: A phenomenon seen in severe hypothermia where the victim removes clothes due to loss of vasomotor tone and confusion.