Cardiac death after extreme physical and mental trauma—case report

Abstract

Background: In forensic casework, cases of sudden cardiac death immediately after intense physical and mental stress are occasionally described, known as “stress- related sudden deaths”. Due to its specificity, controversies, and doubts about the origin of these deaths, they usually become the subject of interest of investigation units or attract media attention. The most important question that require an answer in these cases, in addition to the exact cause of death and mechanism of death, is the consideration of a causal link between the death and experienced physical and mental stress. Case presentation: In this paper, we present an interesting case of cardiac death in a chronic cardiovascular patient, soon after experiencing a serious attack by two large dogs. Conclusions: The successful resolution of these cases is possible only on the basis of an adequate medico-legal autopsy performed with a detailed insight into the medical history of the deceased, exploring the present comorbidity and assessment of its impact on the final outcome—death.