ANALYSIS OF FATAL CASES OF MECHANICAL ASPHYXIA AT BELGAUM, KARNATAKA
Keywords:
Asphyxia, Hanging, Drowning, Strangulation, Traumatic asphyxiaAbstract
The present study is a retrospective evaluation of 103 deaths due to mechanical asphyxia autopsied at Dept. of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Belgaum Institute of Medical Sciences, Belgaum during from 01-01-2009 to 31-12-2009. Data related to age and sex of the deceased, season and manner of death were recorded with detailed autopsy examination and analyzed. Asphyxial deaths comprise 14.32% of total autopsies. Males (67.96%) outnumbered females. Most frequent method of asphyxial death was hanging (61.16%), followed by drowning (28.15%). More violent methods, such as ligature and manual strangulations, constituted 2.91% and 0.97% of all asphyxial deaths, respectively.
References
Nandy A. Principle of Forensic Medicine including toxicology, 3rd ed, New Central Book Agency: Kolkata, 2010:
Government of India. Accidental deaths and suicides in India. New Delhi: National Crime Record Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs; 2009.
Sharma BR, Harish D, Sharma A, Sharma S, Singh H. Injuries to neck structures in deaths due to constriction of neck, with a special reference to hanging. J Forensic Leg Med. 2008 Jul; 15(5):298- 305.
Singh A, Gorea RK, Dalal JS, Thind AS, Walia DA. Study of demographic variables of violent asphyxial death. Journal of Punjab academy of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology 2003; 3:22-5.
Al Madni OM, Kharoshah MAA, Zaki MK, Ghaleb SS. Hanging deaths in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. J Forensic Leg Med. 2010; 17: 265-8.
Gargi J, Gorea RK, Chanana A, Mann G. Violent asphyxial deaths- A six years study. Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine 1992; 171-6.
Momonchand A, Devi TM, Fimate L. Violent asphyxial deaths in Imphal. Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology 1998; 15 (1): 60-4.
Kanchan T, Menezes RG. Suicidal hanging in Manipal, South India – Victim profile and gender differences. J Forensic Leg Med. 2008; 15: 493-6.
Verma SK. Paediatric and adolescent strangulation deaths. J Forensic Leg Med. 2007; 14 (2): 61-4. 10. Suffla S, Niekerk AV, Arendse N. Female homicidal
strangulation in urban South Africa. BMC Public Health 2008; 8: 363.
Hakkanen H. Murder by manual and ligature strangulation. In criminal profiling: International Theory, Research and Practice. Edited by kocsis RN. Totowa: Human press Inc; 2007:73-87.
Azmak D. Asphyxial deaths –A retrospective study and review of the literature. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2006; 27(2):134-44.
Byard RW, Wick R, Simpson E, Gilbert JD. The pathological features and circumstances of death of lethal crush / traumatic asphyxia in adults-A 25 year study. Forensic Sci Int. 2006; 159:200-5.
