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LM9 B Death by Asphyxia
LM9 B Death by Asphyxia
Types:
1. Anoxic Death – associated with the failure of the arterial blood to become
normally saturated with oxygen. Due to:
a. Breathing in an atmosphere without or with insufficient oxygen, as in
high altitude
b. Obstruction of the air passage due to pressure from outside, as in
traumatic crush asphyxia
c. Paralysis of the respiratory center due to poisoning, injury or anesthesia,
etc.
d. Mechanical interference with the passage of air into or down the
respiratory tract due to:
closure of the external repiratory orifice, like in smothering and
overlaying
obstruction of the air passage, as in drowning, choking with
foreign body impact, etc.
repiratory abnormalities, like pneumonia, asthma, emphysema
and pulmonary edema
2. Anemic Anoxic Death – due to a decreased capacity of the blood to carry
oxygen. Due to:
a. Severe hemorrhage
b. Poisoning like carbon monoxide
c. Low hemoglobin level in the blood
3. Stagnant Anoxic death – brought by the failure of circulation. Due to
a. heart failure
b. shock
c. arterial and venous obstruction, incident to embolism, vacular spasm,
varicose vains, or the use of tourniquet
4. Histotoxic Anoxic death – due to the failure of the cellular oxidative process,
although the oxygen is delivered to the tissues, it cannot be utilized properly.
CLASIFFICATION OF ASPHYXIA:
1. Hanging
2. Strangulations:
a. strangulation by ligature
b. manual strangulation or trottling
c. Special forms of strangulations:
- palmar
- garroting
- mugging or yoking
- compression of the neck with stick
3. Suffocation
a. smothering or closing of the mouth and nostrils by solid objects
b. choking or closing of the air passage by obstruction of its lumen
4. Asphyxia by submersion or drowning
5. Asphyxia by pressure on the chest
6. Asphyxia by irrespirable gases.
If dead body recovered in H2O – physician must answer the ff. questions:
2. Did death occur prior to entry in H2O? If so what was the cause of
death?
3. Did drowning cause death? If so is it fresh/salty H2O pool?
4. Any ante-mortem injuries? If so did they play any part in the death
5. Any post-mortem injuries?
6. was there any natural disease? Poisoning? Contribution to death?
Post-Mortem;
Internal Findings:
a. Respiratory System:
1. “Emphysema aquosum”- remedial air - balloons
2. “Edema Aquosum” - H2O is air sacs
3. “Champignon d’ocume” – whitish foam – nostrils mouth