Trends of asphyxial deaths and its association with various demographic factors reported to forensic medicine department Peshawar; an autopsy-based retrospective study | [Journal of Medical Science • 2024]

Author(s):

1. Faiza Nadeem: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Khyber Medical College,Peshawar, Pakistan

2. Iftikhar Ahmad: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Peshawar Medical College,Peshawar, Pakistan

3. Ahsan Ali: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Khyber Medical College,Peshawar, Pakistan

4. Muhammad Alam Khan: Department of Forensic Medicine, Kabir Medical College,Peshawar, Pakistan

5. Muhammad Wasif: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Khyber Medical College,Peshawar, Pakistan

6. Hakim Khan Afridi: Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Khyber Medical College,Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract:

Objectives: To find the frequency of reported asphyxial deaths to gender and pattern of injury reported. This study also in tended to identify the causes and the association between age, area, and gender of the deceased with sexual assault-related asphyxial deaths. Material and Methods:A retrospective chart review was conducted at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Khyber Medical College Peshawar from 1st July 2018 to 30th June 2023 (5 years data). All the subjects who died due to asphyxia and were presented for autopsy at the department were included in the study. Cases with incomplete documentation and those referred from other districts were excluded from the study. Results: Of the total 187 subjects, 66.8% (n=125) were males and 33.2% (n=62) were females with male to female ratio of 2:1. In the data, 57.2% (n=107) belonged to urban areas and 42.8% (n=80) were of rural areas. In total subjects, 88.8% (n=166) had immediate deaths, 6.4% (n=12) had delayed ones, and 4.8% (n=9) were undetermined. The most prevalent type of asphyxia was mechanical 113 (60.4%). The most common cause of asphyxia death was found to be hanging at 34.22%. However, of the 187 subjects, 5.3% (n=10) had intoxications, of which 1.6% (n=3) had tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), carbon monoxide (CO) and morphine poisoning each and 0.5% (n=1) had methamphetamine poisoning. Conclusion: Our study concluded that asphyxial deaths were more prevalent in males in the middle-aged group. Asphyxial deaths were found more in urban areas than in rural areas. Mechanical asphyxia was the most common type of asphyxia while hanging was the most common pattern.

Page(s): 160-164

DOI: 10.52764/jms.24.32.2.8

Published: Journal: Journal of Medical Science, Volume: 32, Issue: 2, Year: 2024

Keywords:

traumatic , sexual , Asphyxia , mechanical , Iatrogenic , tetrahydrocannabinol , and chemical asphyxia

References:

[1] Biswas G .2018 .Review of Forensic Medicine And Toxicology including clinical & pathological aspects. , : .

[2] Singh B,Ghosh M,Sangal A,Srivastava AK . .A post-mortem medicolegal study of violent asphyxial deaths An autopsy-based study. 2017 Apr;3, (2) : 104-7.

[3] Khalil ZH,Naeem M,Gul S,Adil M,Abbas SH,Alam N. . .Asphyxial deaths: a four-year retrospective study in Peshawar. 2014 Jan, 14(1) : .

[4] Baker SP,Hu G,Wilcox HC,Baker TD .2000 .American journal of preventive medicine. 2013 Feb, 1(2) : 146-9.

[5] Garstang J,Cohen M,Mitchell EA,Sidebotham P .2021 .Classification of sleep-related sudden unexpected death in infancy: A national survey. Acta Paediatrica, 110(3) : 869-74.

[6] Ely SF,Hirsch CS .2000 .Asphyxial deaths and petechiae: a review. J Forensic Sci, 45(6) : 1274-7.

[7] Clément R,Guay JP,Redpath M,Sauvageau A . .Petechiae in hanging: a retrospective study of contributing variables. 2011 Dec, 1(4) : 378-82.

[8] Vij K. .2011 .Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology: Principles and practice. , : .

[9] Sardar T,Goswami AK,Kundu SD,Chatterjee S,Mukherjee S,Das A . .Death of a Cannabis Abuser due to Combined effects of Gagging & Chocking by Garbage Materials: a Case Report. Forensic Medicine & Toxicology. 2015 Jan, 1(1) : 1.

[10] Organization WH .2023 .. Drowning, : 1.

[11] Brites AN,Machado AL,Franco A,Silva RH . .Revisiting autopsies of death by mechanical asphyxia in the search for post-mortem pink teeth. The Journal of Forensic Odonto-stomatology, 38(1) : 34.

[12] Mosek DP,Sperhake JP,Edler C,Püschel K,Schröder AS . .Cases of asphyxia in children and adolescents: a retrospective analysis of fatal accidents, suicides, and homicides from 1998 to 2017 in Hamburg. 2020 May;, 134 : 1073-81.

[13] Zahid Hussain K,Mohammad N,Muhammad A,Muhammad Zia ul Islam K,Syed Hussain A,Naveed A . .Asphyxial deaths: a four-year retrospective study in Peshawar.. , : .

[14] Junaidi KA . .. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology. 2020 Jul, 1(3) : .

[15] Prasad KJ,Venkatesulu B,Khalid MA .2021 .Pattern of medicolegal autopsies conducted at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh: A 3-year retrospective study. Asian J Pharm Clin Res, 14(12) : 3.

[16] Mirza FH,Adil SE,Memon AA,Paryar HA . .ExhumationNuisance to the dead, justified? Journal of forensic and legal medicine. 2012 Aug, 1(6) : 337-40.

[17] Akhtar N,Mal S,Anwar A,Rasheed A,Aziz I,Langah IA . .Pattern of Asphyxial Deaths in Forensic Autopsies. Pakistan Journal of Medical & Health Sciences. 2022 Apr, 4(03) : 95.

[18] Nasrullah M,Haqqi S,Cummings KJ . .The epidemiological patterns of honor killing of women in Pakistan. European Journal of Public Health. 2009 Apr, 1(2) : 193-7.

[19] Abder-Rahman HA,Abu-Alrageb SY . .Killing tools in mechanical asphyxia. 1999 Jan, 1(1) : 2-5.

[20] Ely SF,Hirsch CS . .Asphyxial deaths and petechiae: a review. Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2000 Nov, 1(6) : 1274-7.

[21] Cobb N,Etzel RA . .Unintentional carbon monoxide-related deaths in the United States, 1979 through 1988. 1991 Aug, 7(5) : 659-63.

[22] Hampson NB . .Carbon monoxide poisoning mortality in the United States from 2015-2021. 2023 Jul, 3(7) : 483-91.

[23] Rubin-Kahana DS,Crépault JF,Matheson J,Le Foll B. . .The impact of cannabis legalization for recreational purposes on youth: a narrative review of the Canadian experience. 2022 Sep, 23 : 984485.

[24] Anthony JC,Warner LA,Kessler RC . .Comparative epidemiology of dependence on tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and inhalants: basic findings from the Na - tional Comorbidity Survey. , : .

Citations

Downloads

Views