FATAL ASPHYXIA

Near-fatal asphyxia by a toy shopping bag.

The risk of asphyxia by polythene bags is well recognised and such bags carry a warning against children using them as toys. We report an instance of near-fatal asphyxia in a 2-year-old child by a "shopping bag" being accidentally pulled over her head. The bag was made of polyvinylchloride and cotton and is sold for use by children (see figure).

Fatal accidental asphyxia in a jack-knife position.

Accidental death from postural or positional asphyxia takes place when the abnormal position of the victim's body compromises the process of respiration. Diagnosis is largely made by circumstantial evidence supported by absence of any other significant pathology or trauma explaining death. This case report is about a 50-year-old male who had been drinking the previous night and was found dead i...

Congenital Cyst of the Larynx Causing Fatal Asphyxia Neonatorum.

Age, transvestism, bondage, and concurrent paraphilic activities in 117 fatal cases of autoerotic asphyxia.

Autoerotic asphyxia is the practice of self-inducing cerebral anoxia, usually by hanging, strangulation, or suffocation, during masturbation. This study investigated the relationships between: asphyxiators' ages; two paraphilias commonly accompanying autoerotic asphyxia, bondage and transvestism; and various other types of simultaneous sexual behaviour. Subjects were two concurrent series total...

Potentially fatal asphyxia following a minor injury of the cervical spine.

The case is reported of an elderly man with asymptomatic cervical spondylosis who sustained a minor hyperextension injury of the cervical spine when the brakes of a car were applied suddenly to avoid a collision. Within six hours marked swelling of the neck and severe dyspnoea developed, and a lateral radiograph showed the pharyngeal shadow displaced far forwards and a crack fracture of an ante...