Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Effective Respiration
1. Mechanical Asphyxia
1. Smothering
2. Choking
Choking is a form of asphyxia caused by mechanical occlusion of the lumina of the air passages
by a solid object. (Café coronary)
3. Throttling
4. Strangulation
By hands (throttling)
By ligature
By hanging
1. Petechial hemorrhages on the face and neck, due to rupture of small venules on application of
pressure. Pressure may be severe enough in strangulation to rupture larger plexus of venules
producing larger echymoses.
Second most common place for petechial hemorrhages is chest especially visceral and parietal
pleura, due to negative pressure developed in an increased effort to inspire.
2. In manual strangulation, arterial supply is not hampered while venous drainage of head and
neck is obstructed, leading to more leakage of fluid from veins. This results in bulging of eyes,
protrusion of tongue, edema and congestion
3. Cyanosis is most commonly seen on the face, i.e. bluish discoloration of face due to reduced
oxygenated hemoglobin.
4. Increased fluidity of blood and enlargement and engorgement of right heart is also found, but
these findings are not included in the classical signs of asphyxia.
Petechial hemorrhages are seldom seen in hanging and not seen at all in drowning. They might
be seen in some bleeding disorders as well.
Petechial hemorrhages are the pinpoint (1-2 mm) collections of blood in serosal and skin
surfaces due to rupture of small venules under pressure.
Externally
Internally
Most often seen on serosal membranes of thorax. Mostly on visceral pleura and rarely on
parietal pleura
Commonly seen on the heart surfaces
Also may be found on the thymus in infants
Never seen on peritoneal serosa
2. Positional Asphyxia
Positional asphyxia occurs when the position of a person’s body interferes with respiration,
resulting in death from asphyxia or suffocation.
At death, the victim must be found in a position that interferes with pulmonary gas exchange
(breathing). Such a position may range from one that causes obstruction of the mouth and nares,
to one that causes restriction of the chest and diaphragm.
In inability of the victim to escape this position must be explained. In positional asphyxia death
unrelated to restraints, unconsciousness due to acute alcohol intoxication is the most frequent
explanation of the victim’s inability to escape from asphyxiating posture.
All other causes of death –natural or unnatural, medical or traumatic, must be explored by
autopsy and excluded to a reasonable degree of medical certainty.
3. Restraint Asphyxia
This includes:
1. Mugging
2. Arm lock
Mugging/’Arm lock’ (Carotid sleeper or Bar arm)
When strangulation is affected by compressing victim’s neck against the forearm, it is known as
mugging (choke-hold). It may leave no external or internal mark of injury.
5. Traumatic asphyxia
1. Homicidal traumatic
2. Burking
3. Bansdola
4. Penetrating trauma
5. Pressure on chest
6. Pneumothorax
7. Accidental trauma