Analysis of the Lung’s Histopathologic Changes in a Variety of Acute Asphyxia Deaths at S.M.S Hospital In Jaipur

Authors

  • Jitendra Kumar Gour
  • Ravi Kant Saini
  • Deepali Pathak
  • D.K.Sharma

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v17i2.19179

Keywords:

asphyxia, histopathological analysis, edema, congestion, insufflations.

Abstract

Autopsy diagnosis of asphyxia rests upon the identification of classical signs of asphyxia viz. cyanosis, congestion and petechial hemorrhages. In essence, interference with breathing results in asphyxia. There are several ways to asphyxia can occur as a result of hanging, ligature/manual strangulation, mugging, smothering, throttling, chocking, aspiration, suffocation, asphyxia due to chronic lung disease etc. A cross sectional descriptive observational study that was conducted at the SMS Medical College, in the department of forensic medicine in Jaipur, Rajasthan from 1st June 2018 to October 2019. After a thorough autopsy investigation, samples of the relevant lung tissue from both sides were saved for histological analysis of any pulmonary abnormalities.160 (4.90%) autopsies were of these fatalities (n=3261) were taken in the study. The most frequent cause of acute lethal asphyxia was hanging (85%). In addition, this kind of Histopathologic diagnosis of lung can serve as an additional tool for diagnosis confirmation, particularly in situations where the distinguishing characteristics required determining the cause of death may be elusive. In 100% of cases of strangulation, alveolar tissue over insufflations was identified with histopathological score 3 and 4, whereas in hanging score was recorded in nearly all cases at 2. In All cases the score in the throttling was 1. Interstitial edema, intraalveolar edema, passive congestion and intra alveolar and interstitial hemorrhages are virtually always present in hanging and drowning patients. Only in cases of aspiration related asphyxia are intra alveolar deposits of protein and amorphous debris discovered. It demonstrates how the histopathological analysis of the lungs during autopsy can be utilised as an additional histopathologic criterion to confirm the asphyxia diagnosis.

Author Biographies

  • Jitendra Kumar Gour

    Senior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine, S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan,

  • Ravi Kant Saini

    Assistant Professor, American International Institute of Medical sciences, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India,

  • Deepali Pathak

    Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India,

  • D.K.Sharma

    Senior Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

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Published

2023-04-05

How to Cite

Analysis of the Lung’s Histopathologic Changes in a Variety of Acute Asphyxia Deaths at S.M.S Hospital In Jaipur. (2023). Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 17(2), 69-73. https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v17i2.19179