NAME: MAEGAN G.

JUSTOBA

DATE: MARCH 15, 2022

1. What is asphyxia?

The word asphyxia is of Greek derivation and means “without a

pulse.” It refers to a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen.to

the body, which arises from being unable to breathe normally. It may

be described as interference with respiration due to any cause like

mechanical, environmental, or toxic.

Any death is asphyxia in nature because all bodies deoxygenate

after death. However, in modern forensic medical practice, asphyxia

means interference with the natural exchange of oxygen and carbon

dioxide in the body. Many medico-legal death investigations involve

mechanical asphyxia or the physical interference with breathing and/or

circulation. When the respiratory function of lungs stops as a result of

lack of oxygen, it causes failure of heart and brain due to oxygen

deprivation.
2. What are the major classifications of asphyxia?

1. Suffocation - deprivation of oxygen; either from a lack of

oxygen in the surrounding environment or obstruction of

the upper airway.

2. Smothering-mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from

the environment into the, mouth and nose.

3. Strangulation -.may occur by ligature, or by manual

pressure using one or- both hands when the term throttling

may be used.

4. Choking - usually occurs when a foreign'object becomes

lodged in the throat. or windpipe blocking the flow of air.

5. Garroting - to achieve the strangulation of a person where

an iron collar is being placed around the neck and tightened

by a screw driver.

6. Chest compression - due to fixation of the external chest

wall as a result of crushing.

7. Hanging - by another, deliberate self-harm, or autoerotic

Asphyxia.

3. What are the common causes of asphyxia?

Asphyxiation is caused by lack of oxygen. It can quickly lead to loss

of consciousness, brain injury, or death. Some causes of asphyxiation

include drowning, asthma, and choking. Asphyxiation also often caused

lack of oxygen, it causes failure of heart and brain due to oxygen

deprivation.

4. Define Suffocation, Smothering, and choking and differentiate them

from one another.

Suffocation refers to the exclusion of air from the lungs by means

other than compression of neck, such as through entrapment in an

airway enclosure with inadequate oxygen in the environment.

Smothering is the mechanical obstruction of the external airway by an

object such as a hand, pillow, duct or plastic bag. This requires at least

the partial obstruction of both the nasal cavities and the mouth or the

upper way nasal cavities and the mouth or the upper airway. Is usually

accidental and often involves intoxicate people with no dentition or with

dentures, eating inappropriate foods or eating too quickly. It can also be

homicidal; such as when is placed in the mouth and/or pharynx.

Choking can also happen to infants and toddlers who put non-food

materials or inappropriate food in their mouths, and have limited

chewing skills. In both children and adults, choking can prove fatal

despite resuscitation attempts.

Overall, choking involves the obstruction of the larynx by food.

While smothering is the mechanism death, especially when the victims

are very young children, the elder or the informed that cannot resist and
 will show no sign of struggle involves the obstruction of the larynx by

food. And suffocation refers to the exclusion of air from the lungs by

means other than compression of neck, such as through entrapment in

an enclosure with inadequate oxygen in the environment blood, or other

foreign bodies such as bruises and abrasions to the face, lips, or inside

the mouth blood, or other foreign bodies. This sometimes happens when

a large bolus of food material becomes lodged in the opening of the

pharynx o Larynx, making the victim gag and unable to inhale or exhale.

5. What are the indicators that help determine the cause of drowning?

The following are indicators that help determine the cause or drowning.

1. Suicidal

 ·Heavy articles or weight may be found in the pocket of clothing

 ·Presence of suicidal note

 Strong reason to commit suicide

 ·Mentality of the person

 ·Previous attempts of suicide

2. Homicidal

 Evidence of struggle

 Articles belonging to the assailant

 Presence of motive for the killing

 Presence of ligature on the hands or legs

 Presence of physical injuries which could not be self-inflicted

3. Accidental

 Absence of any mark of violence

 Condition and the situation of the victim before death

 Exclusion of homicidal or suicidal nature of drowning

 Testimony of witnesses

4. Natural death while in water

 Presence of pre-existing cardiovascular disease

 Exacerbation of current condition due to physical exertion of

swimming or struggling

5. Injuries sustained while in water

 Can be due to waves or current against any kind of obstruction

 Contact with rough bottom of a river or stony beach

 Damage from boat or ship's propeller

6. How is Suicidal Asphyxia different from homicidal asphyxia?

Suicidal Asphyxia

 In secured residence

 Suicide note

 history of depression, schizophrcnia, or other mental illness

 On psychiatric medications

 Prior suicide attempt/ideation

 spouse, being placed in a nursing home, or sent back to jail)

 Hesitation marks or scars on wrists, neck, or elsewhere

 Ligature furrow above level of thyroid cartilage

 Little internal neck injury (reflecting no or mild struggle)

 Fracture of thyroid cartilage horns, hyoid bone, and cricoid

 cartilage very uncommon

Homicidal asphyxia

 "Dumped “body

 Unlocked residence

 ·Evidence of burglary or belongings rummaged through

 Jewellery/belongings missing

 Inconsistent statements from acquaintance/witness/other

 Convincing motive(s) identified

 Recent life insurance policy started/significant recent shifts

 money

 History of previous physical/sexual assault

 Ligature binding of extremities

 Body arranged for "display" purposes

 Evidence of possible scxual assault (legs apart, dried fluid in

 groin, injuries to genitals)

Redressed, or panties pulled back up

 Inconsistent pattern of lividity or rigidity-evidence that the

Body has been moved

 Defense injuries on hands/arms (broken fingernails, contusions or

abrasions)

 · Ligature furrow at/below level of thyroid cartilage

 Fingernail-type abrasions on the neck

 Large amount of external neck injury

 Often with more than a little internal neck injury

 ＂Date rape"-type drugs detected in blood, such as

 flunitrazepam (rohypnol), ketamine, and GHB

7. What are the more common types of physical injuries considered as

medico-legal cases?

Bruises and abrasions were the most frequently found physical

injuries considered in medico-legal cases (67.8% and 57.3%,

respectively), with the head being the most common injury sites. The

majority of victims had blunt and mild degree of injuries (85.6% and

83.8%, respectively).
8. What examples of blunt force and sharp force injuries?

Blunt trauma most often occurs in: Car accidents, when rapid

deceleration pushes the body into the dashboard, steering wheel, or

seatbelt. Collision between a pedestrian or bicyclist and a motor vehicle.

Contact collisions in sports. The Sharp force wounds examples are

incised wounds (cuts), penetrating incised wounds (stab wounds), chop

wounds, non-human bites and venepunctures for medical or illicit use.

9. What are the different kinds of firearm injuries?

Entry Wound:

The distance between the muzzle end of the first arm and the target is

called range. These are:

1. Contact range wounds- In contact range wounds; the muzzle is placed

against the surface of the weapon. At the time of release, the body.

Action wounds, showing a shift of angle can be rough, loose, angled,

or incomplete.

2. Close Shot Wounds- Within the blaze and powder blast set, the

firearm was shot but was not in close contact with skin or clothes. In

the case of a revolver or gun, the flame moves nearly 75 cm, and in the

case of a rifle, 15 cm. As a circular void surrounded by scorching,

singeing, blackening, and tattooing, the wound emerges. Often present

are the abrasion collar and grease collar.

This wound lacks a muzzle mark and shows smoke soiling. A large

central defect with stippling or tattooing is observed. In a grey zone

between contact and intermediate, near contact wounds lie. There is

an inconsistency in the presence of close and loose-contact wounds

that makes it hard to separate the two. The muzzle of the pistol is not

in touch with the skin of near-contact wounds, being kept a small

distance apart.

4. Intermediate-Range Wounds

A bullet wound in the middle range is one in which the muzzle of the

weapon is held. At the moment of discharge, the firearm is kept away

from the body but close in order to create powder tattooing of the skin

by powder grains ejected from the muzzle along with the bullet. The

sine qua non in middle range bullet wounds are these marks. The rim

of the wound forms a rat-hole and is irregular in form. The

diminishing of the smoke soiling is observed but tattooing exists and

burning is observed. Stippling is due to the release of unburned

powder grains from the weapon that creates pinpoint abrasions on the

skin.
5. Long Range or Distant Range Wounds

The satellite pellet holes are observed around the central wound which

diminishes in size as the range increases. This wound causes tissue

displacement and there is no smoke soiling, burning or powder

tattooing observed and it is rarely fatal. Any distance beyond that

created by stippling. They occur on the surrounding skin as circular

wounds with sharp margins and an abrasion band.

The edge of the entry wound may be abraded in the shape of a collar,

called an abrasion collar or areola, during the bullet’s attempt to

perforate the skin when penetrating, because of the spin. In certain

cases, instead of abrasion, there is a contusion, in which case it is

called the contusion collar more accurately. When entering, the spin of

the bullet induces wiping of the surface on the scalp. This is called the

grease collar.

Tattooing or peppering:

It is from the grains of gunpowder, each grain behaving like a minute

projectile, being pushed into the flesh. Tattooing is seen as small

distinct, black specks on the skin that cannot be cleaned off. Based on

the caliber of the firearm, the type of powder used, and the range, the
degree of tattooing will vary. If the shooting through clothing has

taken place, the same could be missing.

Blackening or Smudging:

A superficial accumulation of smoke on the skin results in blackening

or smudging. In other words, it is just the accumulation of carbon

compounds over the skin which can thus be cleaned off quickly with a

wet sponge. Based on the caliber of the firearm, the type of powder

used, and the range, the severity of the smudging would vary. Thus,

the larger the weapon’s caliber, the broader the blackening range, and

vice versa. If fire via clothing has happened, smudging can also be

absent on the skin. The presence of blackening may not be readily

noticeable to the naked eye, especially if a smokeless powder is used.

In such situations, it will help to imagine infrared or ultraviolet

imaging. The explosion of gunpowder also produces carbon monoxide

which supplies the surrounding tissues with a cherry red hue.

Exit Wound:

The size, form, and structure will differ considerably. They are

typically greater than the equivalent entrance wound. Scorching,

tattooing, and blackening was absent. Sometimes abrasion and grease

collars are absent. The edges are invariably everted and if the skin at

the exit wound tends to be a circular or nearly circular transparent

defect, surrounded by a margin of abrasion (usually wider than entry

assisted exit wound. This phenomenon is triggered by long-range

bullet fires, by clothing, or when a small-caliber weapon is discharged

into contact with the skin at a point when the bone is not directly

below the surface of the skin. This is the direction traversed between

the entrance and exit wounds by a bullet within the body of a survivor

of a gunshot injury. The track can be devious instead of straight in the

case of low-velocity arms.

10. What are the different types of burn injuries?

Types of Burns:

There are several types of burns, depending on the agent causing

the application of heat.

Dry Burns- Dry heat sources result in dry burns. Examples of such

sources are ovens, stove tops, hot engines, mufflers, radiator grills,

clothes, irons, hair dryers, heating pads and furnaces, in children, such

burns are cither accidental or infected. Fire-related injuries also involve

Burning (Prahlow & Byard,2012).

Scalds- are produced by moist heat or steam, or any hot liquid,

such as water, oil or even molten rubber or metal. They are typically

Iess severe than burns produced by dry heat. The scalded area appears

erythematous (abnormal redness of ihe skin resulting from dilation

of blbod vessels) with desquamation (loss of bits of outer skin) and

Chemical burns- are produced through contact with corrosive

acids and alkalis. Most of these injuries involve direct tissue damage.

which causes drying nnd blistering. Destruction of proteins or fat, or

interference with cellular metabolic processes.It may take several

hours before the burn manifests (Prahlow & Byard,2012).

Fire Burns- Burns that occur from building or home fires are the most

common types of thermal injuries encountered in death investigations.

Such burns can be caused by the radiant heat injury alone, from tissues

being in contact with burning clothes or beddings, or from the victim

actually being on fire. Death investigations in fires involve identifying

the victim and ascertaining whether the victim died during or before

the fire occurred.

11. What is the difference between focal and diffuse brain injuries

as main examples of head injuries?

Brain injuries may be: (a) focal, which occurs just deep to the area of

head impact; or (b) diffuse, which is a consequence of the acceleration/

deceleration forces applied linearly or rotationally. Focal brain injuries

are comprised of contusions in the area of impact, in association with

fracture lines and in a stereotypical distribution resulting from impact

with bony irregularities of the skull present in the anterior and middle

cranial fossae.