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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To find out the position of knot in all asphyxial deaths, where the interference was at the level of neck, was the main objective. This study was conducted to find out the position, particularly in suicidal hanging cases. Study Design: Descriptive / Observational Study Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Forensic Medicine Department, King Edward Medical University, Lahore from 2006 to 2008.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: a total of 2979 medico-legal autopsies were conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, King Edward Medical University. Out of these 220 cases were asphyxial deaths. Autopsy reports of these asphyxial deaths, their police documents and hospital charts were scrutinized.
RESULTS: 220 cases out of total 2979 autopsies were of asphyxial deaths, which was 7.39%. In these 104 cases were those of hanging being the commonest cause. And they were 42.27% of total asphyxial deaths. Cases of ligature strangulation were 64, which was 29.09% of total asphyxial cases. And 52 cases were that of manual throttling and it was 23.64%. In 104 cases of hanging, the suicidal manner of death was seen in 68 which was 68.50%. And in ratio males were quite distinct in predominance, which was Male/Female ratio 02.78:1.0. The age group between 20-30 years showed higher incidence in males as compared to females which were more in number in 10-20 years. Not a single case of hanging was seen in below 10 years of age. On the other hand, the strangulation was common in ages between 20-40 years. The males of age group of 20's and 30's showed higher incidence than females in hanging, which was in 30's to 40's. The females were higher in number in ligature strangulations in twenties to forties years of age than males. While males were higher in number in thirties in throttling and females in forties. The manner of death was homicidal in 52.27% deaths. In 30.90% the manner was suicidal, and in 11.82% the manner was undetermined. The method adopted to achieve neck compression was ligature strangulation and throttling in homicidal cases in 57.27% deaths, in 30.97% was hanging in suicidal manner of death. In hanging the knot was found at occipital region in 62.50% deaths and it was found on the side of the neck in 23.08% deaths. In contrast to hanging in ligature strangulation in 78.13% cases the knot was found on front of the neck and in 21.87% it was on the side of the neck.
CONCLUSION: For committing suicide the hanging was the most common method used in our country. And for homicidal killing the ligature strangulation and manual throttling were the methods used for asphyxial deaths. In hanging the knot was typically placed at occipital region in 65 deaths and on either side of the neck in 24 deaths. And not a single case had the knot on front in suicidal hanging. In contrast to it, in ligature strangulation the knot was seen on front in 50 cases and in 14 cases it was on either side of neck. Not even a single case it was placed at the back of the neck.
Language: en |