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ABSTRACT
Infliction of cut-throat injuries with the intention of homicide or suicide is common in India. The main features that differentiate the homicidal and suicidal cut-throat injuries are the presence of hesitation cuts, depth of the wound, signs of struggle, edges of the wound, etc. Presence of injuries that are contradicting with the classical descriptions provided in the standard literature were found in a couple suffering from psychiatric illness, which is the highlight of this case report.
Keywords: Cut-Throat Injury, Hesitation Cuts, Suicide, Homicide, Psychiatric Illness
INTRODUCTION
Infliction of cut-throat injuries for homicide and suicides are not that uncommon in the Indian scenario. The most common criteria used to differentiate between homicidal and suicidal cut-throat injuries are the site of the injury, its direction, severity of wound, presence or absence of hesitation cuts and edges, signs of struggle and nature of wound1. However here we present a case report of an unusual cut-throat injury involving a couple suffering with psychiatric illness, where we observed that the injury had findings contradicting the classical findings.
CASE REPORT
A middle-aged couple presented to casualty with cut-throat injuries in the early hours. Both were on antidepressant medications since two years and were living together. History revealed that both had suicidal tendencies and wanted to end their life by cutting the neck. The husband inflicted a homicidal cut-throat injury on his wife and later cut his own neck with a shaving blade. Husband called his in-laws immediately...