Citation

Arora S, Mahajan D. Indian J. Forensic Med. Toxicol. 2019; 13(4): 28-32.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. Deptartment of Forensic Medicine)

DOI

10.5958/0973-9130.2019.00256.1

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Deaths due to asphyxia constitute a significant proportion of the medicolegal autopsies conducted at Government Medical College Jammu. This retrospective study, extending over a 6 year period from January 2012 to December 2017, was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical Jammu to analyze the patterns of violent asphyxial deaths. The histopathology slides from the lungs and skin from ligature mark were reviewed in 50 cases of violent asphyxial deaths in the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College Jammu. Hanging (64.17% of the cases) was the commonest form of asphyxial death followed by drowning (32.39%), strangulation (2.49%), choking (0.31%), traumatic asphyxia (0.31%) and carbon monoxide poisoning (0.31%). Males outnumbered females across all age-groups (M:F=2.3:1). Nearly 90% of asphyxial deaths were observed in cases 11 to 50 years of age with extremes of age accounting for 10% of the cases only. All hangings were suicidal and all strangulations homicidal. Drowning deaths were either suicidal or accidental. 5 cases of complex suicide were observed. Cyanosis, congestion and petechial haemorrhages were the salient post-mortem features in asphyxial deaths. Ligature mark and fine froth at nose and mouth were the most important findings in cases of hanging/ strangulation and drowning respectively. The important morphological changes observed in the lungs included vascular congestion, interstitial and/or intra-alveolar oedema and haemorrhage. Presence of intra-alveolar oedema was the most consistent finding in drowning deaths. Skin from ligature mark showed a vital reaction in the form of congestion, oedema, haemorrhage or inflammation. © 2019, Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescent; adult; human; child; drowning; female; infant; male; newborn; Lung; asphyxia; aged; autopsy; suicidal behavior; hanging; inflammation; strangulation; retrospective study; human tissue; carbon monoxide intoxication; bleeding; pathology; accidental death; histopathology; airway obstruction; Article; very elderly; skin edema; Histopathology; Violent asphyxial deaths