Scribd
Upload
779 views

Asphyxia in Forensic Aspect

This document discusses asphyxia, including its definition, causes, phases, and appearance at autopsy. Asphyxia is defined as a lack of oxygen, and can be partial (hypoxia) or total (anoxia). There are three main causes of asphyxia: natural disease, trauma, and toxic conditions. At autopsy, signs of asphyxia include cyanosis, petechial hemorrhages, dark liver mortis, visceral congestion, fluid blood, and edema of organs. Asphyxia can be categorized into suffocation, strangulation, and chemical asphyxia.

Uploaded by

Nur Aisyah Soedarmin Iieycha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
779 views

Asphyxia in Forensic Aspect

This document discusses asphyxia, including its definition, causes, phases, and appearance at autopsy. Asphyxia is defined as a lack of oxygen, and can be partial (hypoxia) or total (anoxia). There are three main causes of asphyxia: natural disease, trauma, and toxic conditions. At autopsy, signs of asphyxia include cyanosis, petechial hemorrhages, dark liver mortis, visceral congestion, fluid blood, and edema of organs. Asphyxia can be categorized into suffocation, strangulation, and chemical asphyxia.

Uploaded by

Nur Aisyah Soedarmin Iieycha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 35

Dr.I.B.

GD Surya Putra P, SpF


Department of Forensic Medicine
Faculty of Medicine, Gadjah Mada
University
 Definition of asphyxia
 Causes of asphyxia
 Phase of asphyxia
 Appearence /clasiccal signs of autopsy
 Types of asphyxia
On the examinition of the corpse,
we found out cyanosis in the lip
and under the nail? What is the
meaning?
 Term “asphyxia” mean “lack of oxygen”
 Etymologically the word means “absence of
pulsation”
 A conditioan where there is disturbance of
gas exchange
 A condition where the cells or organs did not
receive oxygen.
 The condition can be partial (hypoxia) or total
(anoxia).
There are three causes of asphyxia :
1. Natural disease
2. Trauma (mechanical)
3. Toxic conditions
 Anoxic anoxia (Asphyxia environment &
mechanical)
 Anaemic anoxia
 Stagnant anoxia
 Histotoxic anoxia
 Dyspneu
 Convulsion
 Apneu
 Paralyse/Terminal
 Usually all of the phase : 4-5 minute
In external examination :
1. CYANOSIS
2. PETECHIAE HAEMORRHAGES
3. COLOUR OF LIVOR MORTIS MORE DARK
AND DIFFUSE (WIDER)
Internal examintaion :
4. VISCERAL CONGESTION
5. FLUIDITY OF BLOOD AND DARK
6. OEDEMA ORGANS
 Mean “dark blue”
 The colour of soft tissue or skin change to
blue or purple. And usually we look In the lip
and under the nail.
 However becomes observable until at least 5
g of reduced hemoglobin per 100 ml.
 Pinpoint hemorrhages produced by ruptured
of small vessels, predominantly small
venules.
 Size from a tent of millimetre to about two
millimetre.
 Rupture is caused by sudden over distention
or increases in intravascular pressure.
 It is classically seen in the conjunctivae and
sclerae (strangulation).
 It often known as ’tardiev spot’
 Those cause by increse of Co2
(carbondioxide) and fluidity of blood
 It is due to obstructed venous return and
capillovenous congestion.
 There is dilatation of the vessels and stasis of
blood.
 It is due to increased activity of fibrinolysin.
Can be group into three categories:
1. Suffocation
2. Strangulation
3. Chemical asphyxia
There are six general forms :
1. Entrapment/environmental suffocation
2. Smothering
3. Choking
4. Mechanical asphyxia
5. Traumatic asphyxia combined with
smothering
6. Suffocating gases
 It is caused by inadequate or
gross deficiency of oxygen in
the environment.
 But it is not due to by
suffocating gases.
 In this case volume of oxygen
was 9.6%
 It caused by fungus-like
organisms ( for enviromental)
 These death are almost
accidental in nature.
 It is caused by the
mechanical obstruction or
occlusion of the external
airways, i.e., the nose and
mouth.
 These death are usually
either homicide or suicide,
very rarely accident.
 It is caused by obstruction
within the air passages.
 The manner of death can be
natural, homicide, or accident.
 The diagnosis of choking death
is made at autopsy when the
airways is found occluded.
 If the material in oro-pharynx
is Gagging, if laryngo-
pharyngx is called Choking
 This condition, if there is pressure on the
outside of the body prevents respiration.
 Divided into three types :
1. Traumatic asphyxia
2. Positional asphyxia
3. Riot-crush or “human pile “ death
Traumatic asphyxia:
 It occurs when a heavy weight
press down on individual’s
chest or upper abdomen.
Positional asphyxia :
 It occurs when the position of
the bodies trapped in restricted
space.
Riot-crush :
 It occurs in riots, when the
chest is compressed by
stampeding people piling on
top each other.
 It is a combination of both these entities.
 An accidental form is overlay, where an infant
is placed in bed for the night with either an
adult or a larger child.
 This condition is caused by inert gases such
as carbon dioxide and methane.
 The gases makes reduction of atmospheric
oxygen.
 It is characterized by closure of the blood
vessel and air passages of the neck as a
result of external pressure on the neck.
 They are three forms :
1. Hanging
2. Ligature strangulation
3. Manual strangulation
 In hanging, there is compression or
constriction of the neck structure by noose or
other constricting band tightened by the
weight of the body.
 There may be either complete or incomplete
suspension of the body.
 Commonly, hanging is suicide. Accidental
hanging is uncommon and homicidal hanging
very rare.
 Complete supension :  The distance between
the distance between foot and floor is near
foot an floor is far  Victim : just one
 Victim : there is wound in the neck
another wounds  Scene: Tidy
 Scene : Untidy

Homicide : Suicide :
 The pressure on the neck is
applied by a constricting
band that tightened by a
force other than the body
weight.
 All cases are homicides.
 It is produced by pressure
of the hand, forearm, or
other limb against the
neck, compressing the
internal structures of the
neck.
 All cases are homicide.
 Principally caused by hanging
 Transitory anoxia is intentionally induced to
enhance sexual arousement produced by
masturbation.
 Loss of control, and accidental death occur.
 Such deaths are rare, with the victim always a
male, only a few cases involving female.
 Typically found in a private area, sometimes
wearing female clothing, erotic literature,
sexual paraphernalia, and mirror
 This condition occur due to chemical
substance.
 In chemical asphyxiants, the most common
encountered by medical examiner is carbon
monoxide, and cyanide.
THANK YOU

You might also like