Doble mecanismo de estrangulación. A propósito de un caso / Double mechanism of strangulation. Apropos of a case

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).

An evaluation of pathologists' application of the diagnostic criteria from the San Diego definition of SIDS and unclassified sudden infant death.

Despite being widely used, few studies have assessed the utility of the San Diego definition of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate pathologists' application of the San Diego definition in all cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) that occurred in Queensland, Australia, between 2010 and 2014. Key coronial documents of 228 cases of SUDI were reviewed independently by three reviewers and classified according to the San Diego definition. Clear guidance regarding the evidentiary threshold for classification and interpretation of the San Diego definition was provided. All reviewers classified cases identically in 202 cases (88.6%). Consensus was achieved on the classification of the remaining 26 deaths following case discussion. After review, 79 cases were classified as SIDS, a one third reduction compared with the original classification, mainly due to a high probability of accidental asphyxia. The number of cases classified as undetermined (USID) almost doubled (75/228, 32.9%), and there was more than a fivefold increase in cases classified as asphyxia (43/228, 18.9%). Natural conditions decreased by approximately one third (21/228, 9.2%). This study demonstrates that with clear guidelines for interpretation, the San Diego definition can be applied reliably, with discrepancies resolved through a process of peer review.

Ahorcamiento con soga. Presentación de un caso atípico / Hanging with rope. Presentation of an atypical case

RESUMEN Las asfixias mecánicas son aquellas que resultan de un 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. El ahorcamiento no es más que la constricción del cuello, ejercida por un lazo sujeto a un punto fijo, sobre el cual ejerce tracción el propio peso del cuerpo. La muerte, según las circunstancias del caso, puede ocurrir por un mecanismo asfíctico, circulatorio, inhibitorio o por lesión medular (caso raro de presentación). El presente trabajo constituyó un caso atípico de ahorcamiento. El ciudadano que resultó fallecido, al dejarse caer bruscamente del balcón de su vivienda, con el dogal en el cuello (soga) y quedar pendiendo el cuerpo, ocasionó un traumatismo raquimedular severo; lo que trajo como consecuencia que se produjera una fractura de la 3ra vértebra cervical, y una contusión medular que lo llevó a la muerte de forma instantánea por el shock medular ocasionado. Para la discusión del caso se tuvo en cuenta los elementos del lugar del hecho, y el examen del cadáver externa e internamente.

ABSTRACT Mechanical asphyxias are those resulting from a mechanical interruption of air penetration to the respiratory tract. They are usually classified according to the nature of the mechanical mean originating them and the way they perform. Hanging is no more that the neck constriction, executed by a lace attached to a fixed point, on which the proper weight of the body applies traction. Death, according to the circumstances of the case, may occur by an asphyxiating, circulatory, inhibitory mechanism or by medullar lesion (a rare case of presentation). The current work reports a case of atypical hanging. The person who died, when abruptly jumped down the balcony of his house with the rope around the neck and the body was left pending, suffered a severe spinomedullar trauma, causing a fracture of the 3rd cervical vertebra, and a medullar contusion causing an instantaneous death due to the medullar shock. To discuss the case, the authors took into account elements of the location where it took place, and the external and internal examination of the body.

DSM-5 paraphilic disorders criteria in the light of autoerotic asphyxiophilia and non-sexual form of oxygen restriction. / Kryteria zaburzen parafilnych w DSM-5 wobec asfiksji autoerotycznej i pozaseksualnej formy ograniczania doplywu tlenu.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published in 2013 has proved to be particularly interesting in the field of sexuality. It introduced a number of significant changes in the definition of sexual norms, among them a widely discussed distinction between paraphilias and paraphilic disorders. The key criterion separating the abnormal sexual interests from the disordered ones is clinically significant distress resulting directly from sexual behavior and/or the risk of suffering or harm to another person as a result of one's sexual behavior. In the case of masochism - which addresses the phenomenon of suffering quite particularly - this distinction is troublesome. Using the example of autoerotic asphyxia - a behavior from the masochism spectrum - the authors critically examine the proposed DSM-5 method of defining the standards of sexual behavior. Interesting in this regard has been a comparison between autoerotic asphyxia and free diving - a nonsexual activity which, although also associated with possible loss of life by reduction of oxygen, has not been pathologized.

Differentiating cause-of-death terminology for deaths coded as sudden infant death syndrome, accidental suffocation, and unknown cause: an investigation using US death certificates, 2003-2004.

We compared written text on infant death certificates for deaths coded as sudden infant death syndrome (R95), unknown cause (R99), and accidental suffocation (W75). Using US mortality files supplemented with the death certifiers' written text for all infant deaths with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 assigned codes R95, R99, and W75, we formed cause-of-death subcategories from common themes identified from the written text. Among all infant deaths in 2003-2004, the underlying cause of death was listed as R99 for 2128 deaths, R95 for 4408 deaths, and W75 for 931 deaths. Among the postneonatal deaths, the differences in subcategories varied between assigned ICD-10 codes: for R99-coded deaths, 45.8% were categorized as "Unknown" and 48.6% as "Pending"; for R95-coded deaths, 67.7% were categorized as "sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)"; and for W75-coded deaths, 76.4% were categorized as "Suffocation." Examination of the written text on the death certificates demonstrates variability in the assigned ICD-10 codes which could have an important effect on the estimates of SIDS cases in the United States.

Use of child death review to inform sudden unexplained infant deaths occurring in a large urban setting.

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the benefits and utility of the child death review (CDR) reporting system when examining risk factors associated with infant death occurring within two subgroups of sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID)-unintentional suffocation and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)-in a large urban county in Wisconsin. DESIGN: Retrospective CDR data were analysed, 2007-2008, for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS: Unintentional suffocation and SIDS infant deaths under 1 year of age in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, 2007-2008, with a CDR record indicating a death in a sleep environment. Main outcome measure Study examined demographic characteristics, bed-sharing, incident sleep location, position of child when put to sleep, position of child when found, child's usual sleep place, crib in home, and other objects found in sleep environment. RESULTS: Unintentional suffocation (n=11) and SIDS (n=40) classified deaths with CDR data made up 18% (51/283) of all infant deaths in Milwaukee County from 2007 to 2008. The majority of infants who died of unintentional suffocation (n=9, 81.8%) or SIDS (n=26, 65.0%) were black and under the age of 3 months. Bed-sharing was involved in most of the unintentional suffocation deaths (n=10, 90.9%) and the SIDS deaths (n=28, 70.0%). All unintentional suffocation deaths (n=11, 100%) and the majority of SIDS deaths (n=31, 77.5%) took place in a non-crib sleeping environment. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates how CDR provides enhanced documentation of risk factors to help steer prevention efforts regarding SUID deaths in a community and reaffirms infants in an unsafe sleep environment have an increased risk of death.

Classification of asphyxia: the need for standardization.

The classification of asphyxia and the definitions of subtypes are far from being uniform, varying widely from one textbook to another and from one paper to the next. Unfortunately, similar research designs can lead to totally different results depending on the definitions used. Closely comparable cases are called differently by equally competent forensic pathologists. This study highlights the discrepancies between authors and tries to draw mainstream definitions, to propose a unified system of classification. It is proposed to classify asphyxia in forensic context in four main categories: suffocation, strangulation, mechanical asphyxia, and drowning. Suffocation subdivides in smothering, choking, and confined spaces/entrapment/vitiated atmosphere. Strangulation includes three separate forms: ligature strangulation, hanging, and manual strangulation. As for mechanical asphyxia, it encompasses positional asphyxia as well as traumatic asphyxia. The rationales behind this proposed unified model are discussed.

[Association between two different types of strangling and intraocular pressure variation in jiu-jitsu athletes]. / Associação entre dois diferentes tipos de estrangulamento com a variação da pressão intraocular em atletas de jiu-jitsu.

PURPOSE: To verify the association between two different types of strangling with intraocular pressure variation in jiu-jitsu athletes. METHODS: An observational study was performed on 9 athletes of jiu-jitsu, with at least 6 month of training, male, aged 20 to 30 years, without any physical and eyeball lesions. Associations between intraocular pressure and Cross Choke from the guard strangling (E1), and E2 - Cross Choke from mount strangling were gotten. Intraocular pressure was determined by using Perkins tonometer, at first in the absence of physical exercise over the last 24 hours and after each strangling. Then it was carried out the intraocular pressure measure at each 3 minutes, during 12 minutes of exercise recovery (R1, R2, R3, and R4) keeping the athletes lied down. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA test and Bonferroni post-test. RESULTS: Meaningful reduction of both eyes intraocular pressure occurred at the E2 situation comparing to the E1 situation at all exercise recovery measures: R1 (OD: 8.22 +/- 1.39 vs.11.33 +/- 2.00 / OE: 8.55 +/- 1.23 vs. 11.88 +/- 1.90), R2 (OD: 8.44 +/- 1.87 vs.10.22 +/- 2.53 / OE: 9.00 +/- 1.80 vs. 10.44 +/- 2.35), R3 (OD: 8.44 +/- 1.74 vs.9.78 +/- 2.54 / OE: 8.55 +/- 1.42 vs. 10.33 +/- 1.93) all with p<0,01 e R4 (OD: 8.88 +/- 2.08 vs.9.55 +/- 2.87 / OE: 9.11 +/- 1.53 vs. 10.44 +/- 2.18) with p<0.05. Meaningful IOP reduction (p<0.05) was observed at the R1 moment of E2 strangling (OD: 10.77 +/- 1.92 vs.8.22 +/- 1.39 / OE: 11.44 +/- 1.94 vs. 8.55 +/- 1.23). CONCLUSION: There is association between intraocular pressure and jiu-jitsu strangling exercises, with intraocular pressure reduction.

A practical classification schema incorporating consideration of possible asphyxia in cases of sudden unexpected infant death.

Although the rate of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased over the last two decades, medical examiners and coroners are increasingly unwilling to use the SIDS diagnosis, particularly when there is an unsafe sleeping environment that might pose a risk for asphyxia. In order to reliably classify the infant deaths studied in a research setting in the mixed ancestory population in Cape Town, South Africa, we tested a classification system devised by us that incorporates the uncertainty of asphyxial risks at an infant death scene. We classified sudden infant deaths as: A) SIDS (where only a trivial potential for an overt asphyxial event existed); B) Unclassified-Possibly Asphyxial-Related (when any potential for an asphyxial death existed); C) Unclassified-Non-Asphyxial-Related (e.g., hyperthermia); D) Unclassified-No autopsy and/or death scene investigation; and E) Known Cause of Death. Ten infant deaths were classified according to the proposed schema as: SIDS, n = 2; Unclassified-Possibly Asphyxial-Related, n = 4; and Known Cause, n = 4. A conventional schema categorized the deaths as 6 cases, SIDS, and 4 cases, Known Cause, indicating that 4/6 (67%) of deaths previously classified as SIDS are considered related importantly to asphyxia and warrant their own subgroup. This new classification schema applies a simpler, more qualitative approach to asphyxial risk in infant deaths. It also allows us to test hypotheses about the role of asphyxia in sudden infant deaths, such as in brainstem defects in a range of asphyxial challenges.

Associação entre dois diferentes tipos de estrangulamento com a variação da pressão intraocular em atletas de jiu-jitsu / Association between two different types of strangling and intraocular pressure variation in jiu-jitsu athletes

OBJETIVO: Verificar a associação entre dois diferentes tipos de estrangulamento com a variação da pressão intraocular em atletas de jiu-jitsu. MÉTODO: Estudo observacional em grupo de 9 atletas de jiu-jitsu, com mínimo 6 meses de treinamento, sexo masculino, idades entre 20 e 30 anos, sem presença de lesões físicas e do bulbo ocular. Buscou-se associação entre a variação da pressão intraocular e os estrangulamentos Frontal da Guarda (E1) e Frontal da Montada (E2). A pressão intraocular foi determinada com o tonômetro de Perkins, inicialmente sem que o atleta tivesse realizado atividade física nas 24 horas antecedentes e após cada golpe. Realizou-se medidas da pressão intraocular por 12 minutos, uma a cada 3 minutos de recuperação (R1; R2; R3; R4), com o indivíduo deitado. Como procedimento estatístico foi empregado o teste ANOVA e o pós-teste de Bonferroni. RESULTADOS: Ocorreu redução significativa da pressão intraocular em ambos os olhos durante a situação E2 comparada a E1 em todos os momentos da aferição de recuperação: R1 (OD: 8,22 ± 1,39 vs.11,33 ± 2,00 / OE: 8,55 ± 1,23 vs. 11,88 ± 1,90), R2 (OD: 8,44 ± 1,87 vs.10,22 ± 2,53 / OE: 9,00 ± 1,80 vs. 10,44 ± 2,35), R3 (OD: 8,44 ± 1,74 vs.9,78 ± 2,54 / OE: 8,55 + 1,42 vs. 10,33 ± 1,93) todos com p<0,01 e R4 (OD: 8,88 ± 2,08 vs.9,55 ± 2,87 / OE: 9,11 ± 1,53 vs. 10,44 ± 2,18) com p<0,05. A redução da PIO foi significativamente maior (p < 0,05) no E2 no momento R1 (OD: 10,77 ± 1,92 vs.8,22 ± 1,39 / OE: 11,44 ± 1,94 vs. 8,55 ± 1,23). CONCLUSÃO: Houve associação entre a pressão intraocular e o estrangulamento no jiu-jitsu, com redução desta.

PURPOSE: To verify the association between two different types of strangling with intraocular pressure variation in jiu-jitsu athletes. METHODS: An observational study was performed on 9 athletes of jiu-jitsu, with at least 6 month of training, male, aged 20 to 30 years, without any physical and eyeball lesions. Associations between intraocular pressure and Cross Choke from the guard strangling (E1), and E2 - Cross Choke from mount strangling were gotten. Intraocular pressure was determined by using Perkins tonometer, at first in the absence of physical exercise over the last 24 hours and after each strangling. Then it was carried out the intraocular pressure measure at each 3 minutes, during 12 minutes of exercise recovery (R1, R2, R3, and R4) keeping the athletes lied down. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA test and Bonferroni post-test. RESULTS: Meaningful reduction of both eyes intraocular pressure occurred at the E2 situation comparing to the E1 situation at all exercise recovery measures: R1 (OD: 8.22 ± 1.39 vs.11.33 ± 2.00 / OE: 8.55 ± 1.23 vs. 11.88 ± 1.90), R2 (OD: 8.44 ± 1.87 vs.10.22 ± 2.53 / OE: 9.00 ± 1.80 vs. 10.44 ± 2.35), R3 (OD: 8.44 ± 1.74 vs.9.78 ± 2.54 / OE: 8.55 ± 1.42 vs. 10.33 ± 1.93) all with p<0,01 e R4 (OD: 8.88 ± 2.08 vs.9.55 ± 2.87 / OE: 9.11 ± 1.53 vs. 10.44 ± 2.18) with p<0.05. Meaningful IOP reduction (p<0.05) was observed at the R1 moment of E2 strangling (OD: 10.77 ± 1.92 vs.8.22 ± 1.39 / OE: 11.44 ± 1.94 vs. 8.55 ± 1.23). CONCLUSION: There is association between intraocular pressure and jiu-jitsu strangling exercises, with intraocular pressure reduction.