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Strangulation, Suffocation, and Asphyxia

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Veterinary Forensic Pathology, Volume 1

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Abstract

Asphyxia, derived from ancient Greek “asphuxia,” literally translates as “stopping of the pulse,” yet, since the mid-eighteenth century, the term was transformed to imply a lack of oxygen resulting in death [1]. Asphyxia is a mechanism, rather than a cause of death, and it is a challenge to confirm in cases of accidental or non-accidental death. There are no pathognomonic lesions in asphyxiated animals, and depending upon the time of death and mode of asphyxia, lesions may or may not be present. Asphyxia is not always immediately fatal—the physiological and pathological outcomes depend upon the cause, duration, severity, and survival time of the victim. Information from the death or crime scene investigation is required to put the postmortem and histological findings into context. Because of significant species differences in the physical, biological, and behavioral responses to strangulation, suffocation, or mechanical asphyxia, veterinary pathologists must be cautious when extrapolating information from the medical forensic literature to their cases.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Case material courtesy of Dr. Nancy Bradley-Siemens, Midwestern University

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Health Laboratory, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1

    Beverly J. McEwen McEwen, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVP

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  1. Beverly J. McEwen McEwen, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVP
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Correspondence to Beverly J. McEwen McEwen, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVP .

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  1. Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Jason W. Brooks

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McEwen, B.J. (2018). Strangulation, Suffocation, and Asphyxia. In: Brooks, J. (eds) Veterinary Forensic Pathology, Volume 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67172-7_8

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