Bone pearl appearance is seen in ?
a) Electrical burns
b) Hydrocution
c) Strangulation
d) Throttling
Correct Answer - A
Ans. is ‘a’ i.e., Electrical burns
Electric burns
Electric burns are at times, also referred to as joule burns.
Technically, joule burn is an endogenous burn, i.e. burns produced
due to release of heat from the body, on application of electric
current. Electric burns may be of following types :?
- Contact burns : Due to contact with live wire.
- Spark burns : Due to sparking of current, e.g. in loose electrical
fitting. - Flash burns : Caused on being near the main power line, without
actual contact. Burns result due to arcing of current from these lines.
Characteristic features of electric burns are :? - There may be holes in clothes or shoes.
- There is a wound of entry and wound of exit of electric current :-
i. Entry wound : It is non-bleeding, thick, leathery, greyish white,
depressed, hard and cauliflower like, known as crater formation.
High voltage current may cause burns over large areas of skin, i.e.
crocodile skin lesions. The skin may get coloured due to metallic
pigment : green (in brass electrode), black (in iron electrode), blue
(in copper electrode) and grey (in aluminium electrode).
ii. Exit wound : It is like a laceration and is bleeding. - Metals from electrode may melt and as small balls (current pearls)
may be carried to tissue. Calcium phosphate of bones may also melt
and is radiologically seen as bone pearls (wax dripping). - Muscles show Zenker’s degeneration.
Causes of death
Commonest cause of death is ventricular fibrillation. Other causes
include shock, cardiopulmonary arrest, cerebral anoxia, paralysis of
respiratory muscles, and mechanical injuries due to fall.