ABSTRACT
Lung is the largest organ of the respiratory system. During hypoxia, pulmonary cells undergo rapid damage changes and activate the self-rescue pathways, thus leading to complex biomacromolecule modification. Death from mechanical asphyxia refers to death due to acute respiratory disorder caused by mechanical violence. Because of the absence of characteristic signs in corpse, the accurate identification of mechanical asphyxia has always been the difficulty in forensic pathology. This paper reviews the biomacromolecule changes under the pulmonary hypoxia condition and discusses the possibility of application of these changes to accurate identification of death from mechanical asphyxia, aiming to provide new ideas for related research.
Subject(s)
Humans , Asphyxia/pathology , Cause of Death , Hypoxia/pathology , Lung/pathology , Forensic PathologyABSTRACT
RESUMEN Las asfixias mecánicas son aquellas que resultan del impedimento mecánico a la penetración del aire en las vías respiratorias, suelen clasificarse atendiendo a la naturaleza del medio mecánico que las origina y a su modo de actuar. La estrangulación puede definirse como la constricción del cuello mediante la aplicación de una fuerza activa, ajena al peso del cuerpo, que actúa por intermedio de un lazo, las manos, el antebrazo o cualquier otra estructura rígida. En la estrangulación antebraquial, la constricción del cuello se lleva a cabo normalmente rodeando al individuo con el brazo y el antebrazo. Cuando el mecanismo de la compresión del cuello es lateral, no se afectan las vías aéreas, la compresión de las arterias carótidas hace que se produzca una isquemia cerebral y pérdida de conocimiento en 10-15 segundos. El mecanismo de muerte en estos casos será la anoxia cefálica. Si la compresión del cuello es anterior, actúa ocluyendo las vías aéreas, la presión sobre los cartílagos tiroides y cricoides puede producir fracturas y el mecanismo de muerte será la obstrucción respiratoria. El presente trabajo constituyó un caso poco común de estrangulación, donde se utilizó un mecanismo combinado que llevó al occiso al deceso final. Para la realización de la discusión del caso se tuvo en cuenta los elementos del lugar del hecho, el examen del exterior y el interior del cadáver (AU).
ABSTRACT Mechanical asphyxias are those resulting from the mechanical obstruction of the air penetration in the airways. They are usually classified according to the nature of the mechanical mean producing it and the way it performs. Strangulation may be defined as neck constriction through the application of an active force not proper to the body weight, acting by means of a knot, hands, forearm or any stiff structure. In ante brachial strangulation, neck constriction is normally performed surrounding the individual with the arm and forearm. When the neck constriction mechanism is lateral, the airways are not affected: carotid arteries constriction produces a brain stroke and loss of consciousness in 10-15 s. The death mechanism in these cases will be cephalic anoxia. If the neck compression is anterior, it occludes the airways; the pressure on thyroidal and cricoid cartilages may produce fractures and death mechanism will be respiratory obstruction. The current work deals with an uncommon strangulation case, where a combined mechanism led the person to the final decease. For the case discussion the authors took into account the elements of the place, and the examination of the exterior and the inside of the corpse (AU).
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged , Asphyxia/classification , Neck Injuries/mortality , Asphyxia/mortality , Respiratory Mechanics , Cause of Death , Compressed Air , Forensic MedicineABSTRACT
Mitochondria are the special organelle in eukaryotic cells. Their main functions are to synthesize energy required for cell activity by oxidative phosphorylation. Most of the oxygen absorbed by the body is consumed in the mitochondria. The precise diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia is one of the difficulties in forensic pathology practice. Forensic pathologists have been trying to find a reliable and sensitive marker for the diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia. Mitochondria are very sensitive to hypoxic environments, and the markers of mitochondrion damage can be used as a basis for the diagnosis of mechanical asphyxia. The purpose of this paper is to review the research progress on mitochondrial damage in hypoxic environments and to explore the possibility of using markers of mitochondrion damage in forensic pathological practice.
Subject(s)
Humans , Asphyxia , Forensic Pathology , Hypoxia , Mitochondria , OxygenABSTRACT
Objective To retrospectively analyze 40 cases of hanging and 33 cases of ligature strangulation in Kunming, to explore the neck injury characteristics and similarities and differences of related asphyxia signs of corpses in hanging and ligature strangulation cases, in order to provide reference for forensic identification. Methods Statistics of hanging and ligature strangulation cases accepted by Kunming Municipal Public Security Bureau from 2000 to 2017 were collected. Data including the gender, age, injury tool, neck injury and related asphyxia signs of the deceased in hanging and ligature strangulation cases were statistically tested by SPSS 23.0. Results There were more males in hanging cases than females. However, there were more females than males in ligature strangulation cases. In hanging cases, suicide was common, while homicide was rare. In ligature strangulation cases, homicide was common, while suicide or accidental death was rare. The average age of the deceased in hanging cases were older than those in ligature strangulation cases. The ligature mark in hanging was usually above the thyroid cartilage. The ligature mark in ligature strangulation was usually at the same level of the thyroid cartilage. The most common vital reactions were exfoliation and subcutaneous hemorrhage at the ligature mark, common among the deceased in hanging cases. Hyoid fracture rate of the deceased in ligature strangulation cases was more common than those in hanging cases. Conclusion The gender, age distribution, position of ligature mark, detection rate of vital reactions at the ligature mark and hyoid fracture rate of the deceased can help distinguish hanging from ligature strangulation.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Asphyxia , Homicide , Neck Injuries , Retrospective Studies , Suicide , Thyroid CartilageABSTRACT
Objective To study the main features of mechanical asphyxia——the pathological characteristics of petechial hemorrhage after high temperature effect (roasted, boiled) and its changing rules.Methods Rabbit model of mechanical asphyxia death with choking neck and death from anteposition hanging was established.The experimental rabbits were randomly divided into roasted group and boiled group (n=4, in each group).The laryngeal ventricles and cardiopulmonary tissues in the roasted group were roasted for 3, 6 and 10 min, and the positions of petechial hemorrhage were observed and photographed.The same organs and tissues in the boiled group were heated in boiling water (100℃), and were observed and photographed at 30 and 60 s.Then histopathological examination was performed on all the laryngeal ventricles and cardiopulmonary tissues.Results The petechial hemorrhage originating from laryngeal ventricle, trachea and lung did not disappear after high temperature treatment in the eight rabbits.The deepened color was visible to naked eyes and distinct from the surrounding normal tissues, with bleeding under the microscope.Conclusion Petechial hemorrhage caused by mechanical asphyxia would not disappear under high temperature, which might be related to the manner of death, the intensity and time of action, and the individual differences.
ABSTRACT
En Medicina Legal los especialistas se enfrentan a diario con fallecidos que presentan como causa directa de muerte la asfixia mecánica producida por la constricción del cuello, que produce el dogal utilizado en cada caso. La constricción cervical puede ser por ahorcamiento y por estrangulación manual o a lazo. En esta ocasión, se presentó el caso de una anciana de 69 años, que, según datos aportados por la instrucción policial, fue encontrada en su domicilio, y presentaba como signo de violencia en la región del cuello un surco horizontal, de 3 cm de ancho en su parte posterior, de superficie blanda, poco profundo, dirigido de detrás hacia delante, que se interrumpía en la parte anterior del cuello, lo cual corresponde con la posición del nudo. Tenía antecedentes de trastornos psiquiátricos, lo cual justifica su actuación, resultando ser un individuo con incapacidad de adoptar normas de convivencia adecuadas al medio sociocultural en el que se desarrollaba, mostrando con frecuencia tendencias a la depresión.
In Legal Medicine specialists find everyday dead people whose direct cause of death is mechanical asphyxia by neck constriction produced by the halter used in each case. Cervical constriction may be caused by hanging or by hand or loop knot strangulation. This time we presented the case of an elder woman aged 69 years who, according to data brought by police instruction, was found home presenting, as a violence sign, a slightly deep horizontal line in the neck, 3 cm width in its back part, with soft surface, directed from the back to the front, interrupted in the neck frontal part, in correspondence with the knot position. She had antecedents of psychiatric disturbances, justifying her behavior; she was an individual unable to adopt life norms fitting the socio-cultural environment where she used to live, frequently showing tendencies to depression.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To compare expression of iNOS on brain tissue in rats model of asphyxia death with other death groups and forensic significance.Methods:The production method of mechanical asphyxia death,hemorrhagic shock death,brain traumatic death and breaks the neck to execute group model;By means of immunohi stochemistry and image analysis technology to determinate the dead rats after each group at different times of iNOS in the brain tissue of expression.Results:iNOS in mechanical asphyxia death,hemorrhagic shock death and brain traumatic death have expressed,breaks the neck to execute was no expression and mechanical asphyxia death group was significantly higher levels than in all levels of other group,each group of 0h expression all slightly bottom to 6h,12h,24h,Also each group of 6h,12h,24h expression tends to the identical level.Conclusion:This discovery,in the 24 hours after the death of brain tissue iNOS expression can be inferred from the asphyxial death of a biological indicators.