Abstract
Bruises may be accidental, inflicted or the result of an underlying medical disorder. They are commonly accidental but also the commonest manifestation of inflicted injury with 90% of victims sustaining skin injury.
A bruise is the escape of blood from ruptured blood vessels caused by blunt trauma damaging underlying skin and blood vessels. Blood leaks from the capillaries and larger vessels into unbroken skin. Swelling is due to blood or fluid leakage into the bruise.
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Further Reading
CORE INFO Cardiff Child Protection Systematic Reviews/www.core-info.cardiff.ac.uk/ (accessed 15.04.17).
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Robinson, D.L. (2017). Bruising in Infants and Children. In: Pediatric Forensic Evidence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45337-8_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45337-8_2
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