Hanging

Hanging is a form of ligature strangulation in which the force applied to the neck is derived from the gravitational drag of the body weight(1-7). Most hangings are suicides, while only a few are accidents or homicides(1-9). As a method of suicide, hanging is found as frequently as drug use or poisoning(5,10-13). The position of the knot of hanging is very important because it can cause unequal pressure to the neck and result in different injuries to the organs(14). The type of hanging can be divided by pressure into two groups, complete and incomplete hanging. Complete hanging is a hanging in which the full body weight acts upon the ligature and places pressure on the neck, Incomplete hanging is a hanging in which some organs touch the floor, using only part of the body weight to load and cause pressure to the neck(1,2,9). Fractures of the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage are important pathogenesis to forensic science, especially when death is caused...

ABSTRACT

When any case of hanging, strangulation or throttling comes to the Department of Forensic Medicine for Post-mortem examination, the hyoid bone becomes the most integral part of internal examination at the autopsy table. Many authors and workers in this field have seriously highlighted fracture of hyoid bone. Some have claimed hyoid bone fracture in about 20% cases of hanging. Some have claimed hyoid bone fracture in about 68% cases of hanging. They also claimed that hyoid bone fracture increases with age above 40 years due to calcification and immobilization of joints. Some also claimed that hyoid bone fracture increases with using hard ligature for hanging and strangulation. Fracture of hyoid bone has been ascribed to many factors like manners of constriction, level of application of ligature or force of constriction, long drop or short drop suspension, age of victim, sex of victim etc. Besides getting hyoid bone fracture at autopsy table, it is also very important to check whether it is ante-mortem...

Abstract

Victims of near hanging are being increasingly seen in accident and emergency (A&E) departments. This paper reports on seven cases of near hanging seen over four years in a district general hospital. The mechanism of injury is ligature strangulation rather than cervical spinal cord injury. All cases of near hanging should be actively and vigorously resuscitated, as initial presenting features bear a poor correlation to eventual outcome. (JAccid EmergMed 1996;13:135-136) Attempted hanging may represent suicidal, parasuicidal, sexual, or attention seeking behaviour. In this paper we present seven patients seen over a four year period in the accident and emergency (A&E) department of a large district general hospital, followed by a short discussion of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, and management of such cases.

Case 1
A 14 year old schoolboy with no history of psychiatric problems was found by his father suspended by a rope attached to a beam in his bedroom. He had...

Introduction

Hanging has become the second most common cause of suicide in the United States, accounting for 14% of the over 31,000 suicides that occurred in the year 2002.24 However, there have been relatively few studies on the outcomes and injury patterns in patients after unsuccessful hanging (near-hanging) attempts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the demographics, injury patterns, and outcomes for near-hanging patients admitted to the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California (LAC + USC) Medical Center.

Methods
The trauma registry at the LAC + USC Medical Center was queried for all patients admitted after attempted suicide by hanging, between 1 January, 1993 and 31 December, 2003. All patients who were dead on arrival or in cardiopulmonary arrest were excluded. The trauma registry is maintained by seven full-time trained nurses, and the quality of data entry is monitored by the Emergency Medical Service of the Department of Health Services of the County of Los s Angeles. Patient variables collected included age, gender, ethnicity,...

Introduction

Death by hanging is not uncommon and occurs in all parts of the world. Hanging is that asphyxia which is caused by suspension of the body by ligature which encircles the neck, the constricting force being the weight of the body. When body is fully suspended and no part of the body touched the ground then it is called complete hanging, where constricting force is weight of whole body. On the other hand in incomplete hanging or partial hanging, the body is partially suspended, the toes or feet touching the ground or are in a sitting, kneeling, lying down, prone or any other posture with only head and chest off the ground. On the basis of position of knot, hanging can be classified into: typical hanging, where knot of ligature should be at the nape of neck on the back and a typical hanging, where knot of the ligature may be at any site other than the nape of the neck....