Multidisciplinary approach to an explosion victim: reconstructing the event

Background: Approaching a case of explosion always involves different specialists in order to evaluate the complexity of its effects on people and environment aiming to the reconstruction of the event. Usually every specialist works separately from the others focusing on the analysis of its field. Our experience wants to bring forward an early cooperation, starting from the first approach to the victims. Method: In particular, in a case of fireworks explosion, the crime scene examination, the evidence collection, the autopsy, the examination of clothes and the histological and toxicological exams were performed, when possible, at the presence of all the specialists in charge, while, in the other cases a rapid and exhaustive exchange of information was provided to all in order to create “the big picture” of the event. We approached the case combining the different methods of the single specialist: the forensic pathologist ability to read the lesions, the forensic chemical knowledge of explosives, the forensic histologist and toxicologist capabilities. For example the lesions observed during the autopsy and the little fragments found in and on the corpse resulted in an important hint during a later search of evidence on the crime scene and actually had a great role in reconstructing the dynamics of the explosion. Results: Having a great amount of information about all the different elements involved in the event, resulted in an easier interpretation of the found lesions: in particular the subarachnoid hemorrhage the thoracic fractures and the cavitation of the right lung and of the liver. The fragments of the explosive device, not only justified the aspect of most of the external lesions, but also provided evidences to identify the fireworks that caused the event. Other interesting results came out from the histological and toxicological examination. Conclusions: The positive results of our experience of cooperation with different specialists approaching the complexity of a case of explosion and the great achievements in terms of new knowledge that came for each one of us, encourage us, not only, to apply this multidisciplinary approach to any other case of explosion further to come, but also to any case characterized by similar complexity. Therefore we feel confident bringing forward this approach to our colleagues.