Accidental head explosion: An unusual blast wave injury as a result of self-made fireworks

Kunz, Sebastian; Zinka, B.; Peschel, Oliver; Fieseler, S.

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2011.04.013

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Generally, the types of injuries described in suicidal deaths due to explosives include body disruption, explosive Fig.4 Blast induced injuries with severe disruption of the face Fig.5 In situ view of the oro-pharynx showing soot and grey-black granules Fig.6 Base of skull showing a blow-out fracture involving chiefly the cribriform plate and sella turcica Fig.7 Cut surfaces of the brain showing pin-point hemorrhages of variable sizes (involving the white matter of the frontal lobes and and genu of the corpus callosum), and focal cerebral cortical contusions injuries, flying missile injuries and blast injuries, and are directly proportional to the type of explosive used, with explosive devices generating bigger explosions resulting in more tissue damage [5,6]. In the case presented, a "Gorilla Bomb" was used as an explosive device.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker: a case report

Makhoba

Toit-Prinsloo

2017

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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Self-inflicted explosive deaths due to detonation of fireworks are rare. In this case report, a peculiar case of an elderly male who discharged a firecracker inside his mouth, resulting in fatal blast induced craniofacial injuries, is described. There is paucity of published data describing fireworks-related suicidal and/or non-suicidal deaths. Even scantier data is present specifically describing fireworks-related blast induced neurotrauma and the mechanism(s) of injury involved in such cases. This case report emphasizes the severe damage that a commercially available explosive, the so-called "Gorilla Bomb", can cause, and raises questions about the relative ease of its acquisition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flash powder decomposes by deflagration at approximately 2000m/s depending on the mixture. Gunpowder, like flash powder, is a low order explosive which deflagrates rather than detonate at a velocity of 0.4 -1.0km/s compared to a high order explosive like TNT (Trinitrotoluene) with detonation velocities of 6.9km/s (6900m/s) [5].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker: a case report

Makhoba

Toit-Prinsloo

2017

Forensic Sci Med Pathol

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“…14,15 Such devices are not described in large series, but only occasionally as case reports. Even when such case reports are published, they are most commonly addressed to explosive and blast injuries, amputations and burns, [11][12][13][14][15] and there are only a few that describe low-velocity intracranial injuries, 16 such as the one presented here. As with most of the other home-made explosive devices around the world, the prangija was replaced with 'less dangerous' and cheaper Chinese firecrackers and fireworks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Penetrating intracranial injury caused by an unusual home-made iron pyrotechnic device

Nikolić

Živković

2016

Med Sci Law

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Herein, a potentially dangerous explosive home-made device used for fun and entertainment is described. It consists of two iron parts connected with a U-shaped thick wire: a wedge about 8 cm in length, which fits into a hollow cylinder, filled with a small amount of nitre (the mineral form of potassium nitrate). Striking the device onto a hard surface creates a spark inside it, which burns the nitre, producing a very loud bang. We are in possession of such device in our forensic museum collection. We present a case from 1937 related to the use of this explosive home-made device. A boy was injured using it, as the wedge hit him in the left temporal region and entered his skull. The major initial consequence was a localised brain injury, without any bleeding. Delayed presentation resulted in intracranial infection - purulent meningitis due to open craniocerebral injury, which was the cause of death three months later. The potentially dangerous home-made explosive iron device presented here was in use mostly by children from the end of the 19th century until the early 1970s, when it was replaced with less dangerous and cheaper Chinese firecrackers and fireworks.

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“…Amatör piroteknik kullanımının yasal olduğu ABD'de, fonksiyon itibariyle havai fişek bataryalarına benzer metal namlulardan oluşturulmuş bir hava fişek bataryasında, ateş almayan namluların kontrolü esnasında aniden ateş alan düzenekten atılan fişek nedeniyle, alında oluşan delinme bağlı bir ölüm vakası bildirilmiş, kullanılan el yapı-mı fişek bataryası "silah" olarak tanımlanmıştır (11).…”

Section: Yaralanma Olgularıunclassified

Potansiyel Yaralama Etkileri Açısından Havai Fişekler

Durdu¹,

Cantürk²

2017

Bull Leg Med

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ÖzetAmaç: Havai fişekler eğlence amacına yönelik bir piroteknik ürün çeşididir. Yapımında kullanılan malzemeler ve tasarımları nedeniyle bazı potansiyel riskler içermektedirler. Basit bir "silah" sistemi şeklinde kullanılabilirlikleri yanında, tasarımlarında kullanılan enerjik malzemeler de ev yapımı bombalarda kullanılabilir niteliktedir. Zaman zaman yangın, yaralanma ve ölüm olaylarına ilişkin haberlerle karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Çalış-mamızda havai fişeklerin yaralama potansiyelini incelemek amaçlanmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Yerli üretim havai fişek bataryalarının fiziki incelemesi, hızlı kamera eşliğinde havai fişek bataryasının fonksiyonu ile ateşlenmesi, fişeklerin namludan çıkış anının görüntülemesi ve hız ölçümü, fişeklerin infilak anının görüntülemesi ve basınç ölçümü olmak üzere dört farklı çalışma yapılmıştır. Havai fişeklerin fiziki incelemelerinde; fişek bataryalarının, silindirik yapıda kartondan mamul namluların birleştirilmesinden oluşturulmuş bloklar halinde olduğu, bataryayı oluşturan her bir namlunun alt kısmından geçirilmiş bir fitilin yakılması ile namlular içindeki fişeklerin belirli aralıklarla ve sırayla ateşlendiği, patlayarak görsel efekti oluşturan fişeklerin, tasarlanan efekti oluştura-cak şekilde toz ve katı formda bir dizi piroteknik bileşikler ile toprak, tahıl gibi ilave maddeler kullanılarak tasarlandıkları gözlenmiştir.Bulgular: Bataryanın ateşlenmesi sırasında yoğun bir duman ve namlu ağızlarından ortalama 40,02 cm (SD:7,21) yükseklikte alev püskür-mesi oluştuğu, ortalama 28 g (SD:3,8) ağırlığındaki havai fişeklerin 0,5 m mesafede ortalama 52,61 m/sn (SD:6,92) hıza ulaştıkları belirlenmiştir. Fişeklerin infilak anında ortalama 144,42 cm (SD:144,42) çapında alev topu oluştuğu ve aynı zamanda efekt materyali saçılımı gözlemlenmiş, fişek-lerin patlama basıncı ortalama 89,10 kPa (SD:16,62) olarak ölçülmüştür.Sonuç: Yapılan tespitler ışığında havai fişeklerin, içerdikleri piroteknik bileşiklerden kaynaklanan, namludan çıkışta alev püskürmesi, fişeğin ulaştığı hız, alev topu oluşumu ve parça tesiriyle yaralama potansiyeline sahip oldukları değerlendirilmiştir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Piroteknik Maddeler; Havai Fişek; Yaralama. AbstractObjective: Aerial shells -a sample of pyrotechnics-are produced for recreational purposes. Due to the materials used in construction and design, they have some potential risks. Besides, there is a risk of utilization of shells as a simple weapon system and utilization of energetic ingredients in home-made bombs. Occasionally some news has been seen about wounding and deaths related to aerial shells. With this perspective, our study aimed to research wounding potential of shells.Materials and methods: Four experiments were held including the physical examination of locally produced batteries, observation of battery functioning, expelling and detonation of shells, as well as speed and blast pressure measurement by utilizing a fast camera and pressure sensors. In physical examinations it is identified that, batteries are constructed in form of a cylindrical-cardboard-...

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Accidental head explosion: An unusual blast wave injury as a result of self-made fireworks

Cited by 13 publications

References 16 publications

Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker: a case report

Self-inflicted explosive death by intra-oral detonation of a firecracker: a case report

Penetrating intracranial injury caused by an unusual home-made iron pyrotechnic device

Potansiyel Yaralama Etkileri Açısından Havai Fişekler

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