Wednesday 7 December 2011

Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal issues:What is a dangerous injury?

An injury is said to be dangerous, if the nature of injury is such that it may put the life of the injured in danger. An injury caused on the vital part cannot be called a grievous injury unless the nature and dimensions of the injury or its effects are such that the doctor is of the opinion that it actually endangers the life of the victim. To designate the injury as grievous hurt danger to life should be imminent. Dangerous injuries are those which cause imminent danger to life, either by involvement of important organs or structures or extensive areas of the body. If no surgical aid is available such injuries may prove fatal.

• Some examples of injuries which endanger life are: stab on the abdomen or head or vital part, hurt causing rupture on spleen, squeezing testicles, incised wounds on the neck, compound fracture of the skull, rupture of an internal organ, and injury of a large blood vessel.
• Danger to life should be imminent
• Injuries are extensive and implicate important structures or organs, so that they may prove fatal in the absence of surgical aids. For instance a compound fracture of the skull,
• Wound of an artery or rupture of some internal organ such as the spleen, should be considered “dangerous to life”.
• There is a fine distinction in the degree of body injury between dangerous to life and likely to cause death.
• Another type of bodily injury which is sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death is also to be recognized. But the injuries which prove fatal remotely by incurrent diseases such as tetanus should not be considered as dangerous.
• If an opinion as regards the nature of a particular injury cannot be formed at the time of the examination as in the case of an extensive swelling of a limb when its fracture cannot be detected, or in the case of a head injury where the symptoms are obscure, the injured person must be either re-examined 12-24-48 hours after the initial clinical examination or admitted under observation until a definite opinion can be formed and the police should be notified of the fact.


No comments:

Post a Comment