Four years profile of cases of as asphyxial death autopsied at Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical College / Hospital Sukkur

ABSTRACT

History of Asphyxial death is as old as human history. Homicide is oldest crime in human civilization and was started from murder of abel by the hand of cane. Homicide can be done by using mechanical asphyxia like, throatling, smoothering, and hanging. Similarly suicide can be done by means of hanging where throatling by one self is rare. In small children, old and feeble people smoothering is choice of homicide. Retrospective study. This study was carried out in the office of additional police surgeon and Forensic Medicine Department of Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical College Sukkur [GMMMC], of asphyxial death from 2007 to 2010. This retrospective study includes results of hundred autopsy examination carried out in the office of additional police surgeon and Forensic Medicine Department of Ghulam Muhammad Mehar Medical college Sukkur [GMMMC], of asphyxial death. Total period of study was four Years so that from 2007 to 2010. The study revealed that the individual in the third decade of life are maximally involved the ligature was a single loop in 77.7% cases and multiple in 22.3% cases. The most frequent non specific sign was congestion seen in 70% cases and petecheal haemorrhage in 78% cases. The hyoid bone was fractured in 30 cases. The associated injuries found were physical and sexual in nature in 73% of cases. The vast majority of cases of asphyxial death were as a result of strangulation, both manual and by means of rope [ligature]. Associated injuries of physical nature were present in 68% of cases. This reveals the cruelty of the criminals towards human being