Chapter 15: Violent Asphyxial Death

Asphyxia

Asphyxia

lack of oxygen in blood and tissues due to impaired or absence of exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide on a ventilatory basis, leading to death.

Mechanical asphyxia

this is due to mechanical interference to respiration, e.g. hanging, strangulation, throttling, smothering, choking, drowning, etc

Anoxia

asphyxia that leads to lack of oxygen supply to cells and tissues.

Anoxic Anoxia

Here oxygen cannot gain entry into the blood.

Anemic Anoxia

Here oxygen can get into blood, but the blood is incapable of carrying it.

Stagnant Anoxia

Here oxygen can get into the blood, blood is capable of carrying it, but circulation is at failure.

Histotoxic Anoxia

Here oxygen can get into the blood, blood is capable of carrying it, and the blood circulation is perfectly normal, but the cell cannot utilize the oxygen available in blood.

Extracellular histotoxic anoxia

Here oxygen cannot be taken up due to the failure of tissue enzyme system by poisoning.

Pericellular histotoxic anoxia

Here oxygen cannot be taken up due to reduced permeability of cell membrane

Substrate histotoxic anoxia

Here oxygen cannot be taken up due to failure of efficient cell metabolism

Metabolite histotoxic anoxia

Here oxygen cannot be taken up due to the accumulation of end products of cell respiration.

La-facie sympathique

peculiar change wherein the right eye remained open with a dilated pupil and the left eye closed with a small pupil

Dribbling

______ occurs from the angle of mouth whichever is at lower level.

Hanging

It is defined as complete or partial suspension of the body by a ligature tied around the neck and force of constriction on the neck being applied by the weight of the body hanged.

Complete hanging

Hanging wherein both feet are not touching the ground.

Partial hanging

Hanging wherein both feet or any other parts of the body are touching the ground.

Typical hanging

Hanging wherein the knot of ligature is on the backside of the neck.

Atypical hanging

Hanging wherein the knot of the ligature is anywhere other than on the backside of the neck.

Penile turgidity

penis may be found turgid and erect.

Hyoid Bone

a bone described as having a ‘U’ shape, with a central horizontal body

Larynx

a neck structure in the midline anteriorly.

Cricoid Cartilage

A signet ring shape with signet part situated posteriorly.

Thyroid cartilage

It is  made up of a shield shaped body in the middle.

Antero-posterior compression fracture

Here the distal fragment gets desplaced outwards and periosteum may be torn on the inner aspect.

Side-wise compression fracture

Here the distal fragment will be bent inwards and the periosteum may be torn on outer aspect.

Traction/Avulsion/Tug fracture

Here due to the powerful muscles attached to the upper and anterior surface of hyoid bone, it is drawn up and held rigidly.

judicial hanging

Cause of death in ______ is due to injury to spinal cord in the neck because of the fracture and dislocation of upper cervical vertebra C and contusion or transaction of the underlying cord.

Lynching

_____ is hanging of a victim who may be criminal by a mob. A homicidal hanging.

hangman’s fracture

In perfectly performed judicial hanging, the victim abruptly stops at the end of his fall when his head is jerked suddenly and violently backwards, fracturing his spine, known as _____.

Strangulation

a form of violent asphyxia caused by constricting the neck by some means, the force of constriction being other than weight of the victim's body.

Ligature Strangulation

t is when a ligature material is used to strangulate the victim.

Manual Strangulation

it is when bare hands are used to compress the neck and strangulate.

Mugging

Happens when neck is compressed or squeezed by holding it between the crook of the elbow or knee.

Bansdola

Happens when neck is compressed between two bamboo sticks one held in front of the neck and the other behind it.

Garroting

a thin string is thrown around the neck of an unaware victim, from his back.

Palmar Strangulation

a combined from of violent asphyxia where in smothering and strangulation are performed together.

Suffocation

a form of asphyxia caused by lack of oxygen in the atmospher or by mechanical obstruction to the air passages by mechanical means other than constriction of the neck and drowning.

Entrapment

Happens due to inadequate oxygen in the environment.

Environmental suffocation

Here the individual inadvertently enters an area where there is gross deficiency of oxygen.

Smothering

It is a form of asphyxia caused by mechanical occlusion of external air passages.

Overlaying

a form of accidental smothering of an infant by the mother sharing the same bed with the child, may roll over it during sleep and occlude the air passages by her breast which the infant may be suckling, developing asphyxia and death.

Choking

a form of asphyxia caused by mechanical occlusion within various sites of upper air passages by foreign objects.

Gagging

a means to affect choking by preventing the air entry into the respiratory tract by stuffing gag material into the mouth.

Traumatic asphyxia

a form of asphyxia resulting from trauma of the chest leading to forceful

Positional Asphyxia

The victim here gets trapped in restricted spaces, where because of the position of the body they cannot move out of that area or position.

Riot-Crush

it is when the thoracic wall is compressed by stampeding people piling on top of each other.

Burking

a combination form of smothering/palmar strangulation and traumatic asphyxia, resulting in death

Drowning

a form of violent asphyxial death, wherein the entry of air into the lungs is prevented by water or other fluids due to the submersion of mouth and nostril.

Typical Drowning

Here there is actual obstruction of the air passages by the fluid or water column entering into it.

Atypical Drowning

Here there is very little or no fluid or water which is inhaled into the air passages.

Dry drowning

Here no water is detected in the lungs during autopsy examination. Lungs remain dry and water free.

Immersion syndrome

It is usually found in temperate or cold zones. Where usually young swimmers are the victims.

Diatoms

• These are microscopic unicellular algae which live in water.

• They vary in size (5 to 400 μm) and shape and have got a hard-cell wall made of silica, which resists acid digestion.