Morte conseguente all’uso di esplosivi nel settorato medico-legale genovese

After a brief summary of the various types of explosives and after recalling the effects of an explosion on the human body, the Authors review the cases of deaths consequent upon the use of explosives in the records of the Genoa forensic medicine department in the period 1969-2005. The search found only six fatal cases, concentrated in the 'seventies'. They found that in the six fatal cases nitroglycerine or trinitrotoluene had been used, which in four cases caused typical multi-district traumatic sphacelation, whereas in two cases the fatal wound was caused by a splinter. Specific mention is made of a death consequent upon blocking of the heart caused by penetration into the heart muscle of a small splinter 3 mm in diameter produced by the accidental explosion of a grenade. Finally, they examine the possible social and criminological factors that explain the smallness of the number of fatal cases in the records of the Genoa forensic medicine department.