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A 9-year retrospective review of lightning deaths from the Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey

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Abstract

In this study, deaths from lightning strikes in Eastern Turkey revealed distinct patterns in lifestyle and physical injury. Farmers, sailors, and those engaged in outdoor sports are all at risk of being struck by lightning. Death from a lightning strike is associated with cardiovascular and central nervous system damage. This study examines cases of autopsies that were performed on bodies that had suffered a lightning strike, including sociodemographic data, burns on the body, injured regions, histopathological findings, and causes of death. This retrospective evaluation included 17 cases. The cases comprised 88.2% males and 11.8% females, with a mean age of 41.5 years. The person’s occupation was farmer in 29.4% of the cases and shepherd in 70.6%. Their deaths occurred most frequently in the summer months. Deaths associated with lightning strikes are more frequent in east of Turkey than in other regions, as agriculture and livestock are common sources of income. The majority of the victims among the cases were males working outside because of their occupations. Histopathologically, subarachnoid fresh bleeding was seen in five cases, subpleural fresh bleeding in the lungs in five cases, and interlobular rupture in the lungs in three cases. Deaths associated with lightning strikes have been correlated with a low level of education in this subject. This study is the largest case study of deaths associated with lightning strikes in Turkey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey

    Mucahit Oruç & Osman Celbiş

  2. Council of Forensic Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey

    Ahmet Sedat Dündar

  3. Department of Medical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey

    Emine Türkmen Şamdancı

Authors
  1. Mucahit Oruç
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  2. Ahmet Sedat Dündar
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  3. Emine Türkmen Şamdancı
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  4. Osman Celbiş
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Contributions

Research concept and design: Mucahit Oruç, Ahmet Sedat Dündar, Osman Celbiş. Collection and/or assembly of data: Ahmet Sedat Dündar, Mucahit Oruç. Data analysis and interpretation: Mucahit Oruç, Ahmet Sedat Dündar, Emine Türkmen Şamdancı. Writing the article: Ahmet Sedat Dündar, Mucahit Oruç. Critical revision of the article: Osman Celbiş, Emine Türkmen Şamdancı. Final approval of article: Osman Celbiş, Emine Türkmen Şamdancı.

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Correspondence to Ahmet Sedat Dündar.

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Ethics approval

Permission for the study was received from the Forensic Medicine Institution Malatya Group Directorate, and the study protocol was approved by the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Inonu University Medical Faculty (Decision No: 2020/837).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Oruç, M., Dündar, A.S., Şamdancı, E.T. et al. A 9-year retrospective review of lightning deaths from the Eastern Anatolian Region of Turkey. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 19, 139–145 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-022-00512-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-022-00512-2

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