Neck structure injuries in hanging cases brought for autopsy at A.M.C.H. Mortuary, Dibrugarh : Two years retrospective study

Dr. Tarun Kumar Das; Dr. Nayan Mani Pathak; Dr. Rupak Kumar Gogoi

Volume : VII, Issue : I, January - 2018

Neck structure injuries in hanging cases brought for autopsy at A.M.C.H. Mortuary, Dibrugarh : Two years retrospective study

Dr. Tarun Kumar Das, Dr. Nayan Mani Pathak, Dr. Rupak Kumar Gogoi

Abstract :

Introduction:

The present study was conducted to see various neck injuries in hanging cases ought for medicolegal autopsy to find out the association of multiple factors responsible for Cause of death along with asphyxia.

Material and method:

This retrospective study was conducted for two years period from January 2015 to December 2016 at the Mortuary of Department of Forensic Medicine, Assam Medical College, Diugarh. A total of 210 hanging cases studied.

Result:

Injury to neck muscle seen in 29% cases where in most of the cases type of hanging was complete hanging. Carotid artery injury in the adventitial layer was found in 16.19% cases where maximum number of cases used hard material as ligature.

Conclusion:

In cases of hanging though only asphyxia is commonly mentioned as cause of death but it is seen that other contributing factors like venous congestion, cereal anoxia, vasovagal attack, spinal injuries etc. are associated with. Thus while performing medicolegal autopsy of hanging cases it is always important to consider these associated factors before giving opinion as to the cause of death.