UNUSUAL ASPHYXIAL DEATHS - Case Reports

Abstract

Violent mechanical asphyxiation as a cause of death in the forensic practice is frequent and usual occurrence, notwithstanding whether it is a homicide, suicide or an accident. Purpose of this paper is to present unusual ways of occurrence of violent asphyxiation with four cases. Material and methods: four death cases have been analyzed with cause of death being violent asphyxiation occurred in an unusual way, such as: neck compression case, case of stuffing of the larynx-pharynx cavity, a case of a combination of positioned asphyxia and neck compression and a case of ambient asphyxia combined with hypothermia. From analyzed cases it was concluded that the death of two of the cases was a result of an accident, one is a murder case, and one a suicide.

Results: The external examination of the body revealed surface injuries, conjunctivas hyperaemia and typical outline and colour of livores mortis, whereas the finding of internal examination of the organs revealed atypical changes: congestion of the organs, petechial haemorrhages of the pleura and epicard. Death with analyzed cases has occurred as a result of an unusual way of asphyxia, a combination of different asphyxias or a combination of asphyxia and hypothermia and therefore it is interesting to find out which is the prevailing one. Conclusion: active participation at on-the-spot inspection, analysis of circumstances preceding the event and exclusion of other reasons for death are necessary upon adopting the final conclusion regarding violent asphyxias as a cause for death